WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
col•lec•tive /kəˈlɛktɪv/USA pronunciation
adj.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- formed by collection.
- forming a whole;
combined: our collective assets. - characteristic of a group:[before a noun]their collective will.
- Government organized according to the principles of collectivism:[before a noun]a collective farm.
n. [countable]
- Governmentan organization in a collectivist system, esp. a collective farm.
col•lec•tive
(kə lek′tiv),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
col•lec′tive•ly, adv.
- formed by collection.
- forming a whole;
combined:the collective assets of a corporation and its subsidiaries. - of or characteristic of a group of individuals taken together:the collective wishes of the membership.
- Governmentorganized according to the principles of collectivism:a collective farm.
n.
- GrammarSee collective noun.
- a collective body;
aggregate. - Governmenta business, farm, etc., jointly owned and operated by the members of a group.
- Governmenta unit of organization or the organization in a collectivist system.
- Latin collēctīvus, equivalent. to collēct(us) (past participle of colligere; see collect1) + -īvus -ive
- Middle French)
- late Middle English collectif (1400–50
'collectively' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
acquaintance
- advertising
- aftermath
- agribusiness
- ancestry
- androecium
- antiquity
- archery
- architecture
- arms
- art
- arts
- bad
- ball
- Bar
- baronage
- baronetage
- basketry
- belting
- bench
- Benelux
- big business
- biography
- blazonry
- bloom
- boarding
- Boche
- braiding
- brick
- bureaucracy
- calyx
- canonry
- canvas
- cardinalate
- cast
- ceremony
- change
- china
- chivalry
- cinema
- citizenry
- city
- civil service
- civilization
- clientele
- clothing
- coinage
- confectionery
- cooperative
- corolla