collection

noun

col·lec·tion | \ kə-ˈlek-shən

Definition of collection

1 : the act or process of collecting the collection of data the collection of taxes

2a : something collected especially : an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby a collection of poems a collection of photographs a baseball card collection

b : group, aggregate a collection of symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, and joint pain

c : a set of apparel designed for sale usually in a particular season the designer's spring collection of dresses

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing collection Learn More About collection

Examples of collection in a Sentence

a system of tax collection The technology makes data collection easier. There will be a trash collection this week. The museum's collection is one of the best in the country. We took up a collection for the school renovations. Ten percent of the collection goes to the city's shelters for homeless people. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Those Montauk-appropriate pieces arrive online at noon today in Hill House Home's first swimwear collection, along with a campaign photographed by Claiborne Swanson Frank. — Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 11 May 2022 Art in Bloom brings together 90 floral designers, each assigned to a specific piece in the museum's collection, who interpret that work and create a corresponding arrangement using live flowers. — Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 11 May 2022 Beyond its value, the collection—a formally diverse but thematically cohesive selection of works by Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Mark Rothko, Bauhaus, and other giants—provides insight into one woman’s dogged pursuit of excellence. — Ian Malone, Vogue, 11 May 2022 The diverse group modeled the forthcoming collection, which includes new takes on the house's iconic handbags. — Michelle Lee, PEOPLE.com, 10 May 2022 Here’s a collection of our worst nights of sleep in the woods. — The Editors, Outside Online, 9 May 2022 China also has a large collection, along with plans to send significant numbers of satellites to low-Earth orbit in the next few years. — Bin Li, Scientific American, 9 May 2022 Her studio features an extensive collection of art and books, including her portrait (turquoise background) by Ara Gallant for a 1977 cover of Interview magazine. — Katharine K. Zarrella, WSJ, 8 May 2022 Inside, its bright white walls are decorated with paintings and photographs from Allen’s personal collection (many by friend Rick Carter). — Melissa Hernandezstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2022 See More

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

History and Etymology for collection

Middle English colleccioun, collection, borrowed from Anglo-French collection, borrowed from Latin collēctiōn-, collēctiō "bringing together, accumulation," from colleg-, variant stem of colligere "to gather together, assemble, accumulate, pull (oneself) together" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at collect entry 2