collation

noun col·la·tion \ kə-ˈlā-shən , kä- , kō- \

Definition of collation

[Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin collation-, collatio, from Late Latin, conference, from Latin, bringing together, comparison, from conferre (past participle collatus) to bring together — more at confer, tolerate]

a : a light meal allowed on fast days in place of lunch or supper

b : a light meal

[Middle English, from Latin collation-, collatio]

: the act, process, or result of collating

Recent Examples of collation from the Web

There’s a similar wear-anywhere sensibility in the new bridal collation from H&M’s sister label, & Other Stories.

— emily farra, Vogue, "Would You Get Married in a $200 Dress? These 4 Brands Are Counting on It," 25 Apr. 2018
In fact, SmarterSafer, a collation made up of insurance companies, progressive environmental organizations and right-leaning think tanks, is one group advocating for sweeping change (pdf).

— jen schwartz, Scientific American, "National Flood Insurance Is Underwater Because of Outdated Science," 23 Mar. 2018
In the past five years, spending on youth services has been slashed by a third, or by £28 million (about $37 million), according to a collation of data from 28 of London's 32 councils.

— CNN, "Torture in a Bottle," 29 Sep. 2017
There are more than 6,000 domestic observers and party agents at each tallying station will have to sign off on results that are then sent electronically to county offices and a national collation centre in the capital, Nairobi.

— katharine houreld / reuters, Time, "Nervous Kenyans Head to the Polls Amid Fears of Electoral Violence," 7 Aug. 2017
At the Grand Synagogue after the morning services on a recent Saturday, the atmosphere was jovial at the kiddush, the post-prayer collation.

— adam nossiter, New York Times, "French Jews Fear a New Strain of ISIS-Inspired Anti-Semitism," 24 Jan. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'collation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of collation

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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Law Dictionary

collation

noun col·la·tion \ kə-ˈlā-shən, kä-, kō- \

legal Definition of collation

in the civil law of Louisiana : the actual or supposed return of goods to the mass of the succession that is made by an heir who received property in advance for the purpose of having the property divided with the rest of the succession — compare hotchpot

Note: Children and grandchildren of a decedent must return anything that they received in advance by donation inter vivos. Further, they cannot claim legacies made to them unless made expressly by the decedent as an advantage over their coheirs to be received besides their portion of the succession. Donations made to a grandchild by a grandparent during the life of the child's father are not subject to collation. A collation may be made in kind by the actual delivering up of the thing given, or by taking less from the succession in proportion to the value of the thing received in advance.

Origin and Etymology of collation

French, from Latin collatio bonorum (in Roman law) contribution made by emancipated heirs to an estate under an intestate succession, literally, bringing together of goods