collection

noun

col·​lec·​tion kə-ˈlek-shən 

1

: the act or process of collecting

the collection of data

the collection of taxes

2

a

: 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 of collection

• library
• assemblage
• assortment
• repertoire

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Corduroy with an indigo look, fabrics made with recycled cotton and 10 percent pineapple fiber, recycled cotton and linen blends, lightweight fabrics made with hallow yarn and fabrics made with 3 percent cashmere were also part of Nishat’s collection. —Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 22 Apr. 2026

This article is part of the Future of AI, a collection of articles that investigates how artificial intelligence will impact the fashion and beauty industries in the years to come. —Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2026

Since working together on Harrier’s 2020 home, featured in this very magazine, the pair has embarked on multiple interiors projects together; but this release, an 87-piece collection with Crate & Barrel, is their first for market. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2026

Art in the collection is freed from its departmental silos and put into conversation across genre lines, place and time. —Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing collection

• sub-collection

Rhymes for collection

• abjection
• advection
• affection
• bijection
• bisection
• complexion
• confection
• connection
• connexion
• convection
• correction
• defection

Kids Definition

collection

noun

col·​lec·​tion kə-ˈlek-shən 

1

: the act or process of collecting

2

a

: something collected

especially : an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby

b

: set entry 2 sense 7

3

: a gathering of money

take up a collection