collection

noun

col·​lec·​tion kə-ˈlek-shən How to pronounce collection (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Click the Browse tab to explore the site's collections or the Search tab to look for something specific. PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025 According to the Tate collection in the UK, artist Elizabeth Siddal posed for Millais over a four month period in a bath full of water kept warm by lamps underneath. Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 3 Oct. 2025 While diamonds account for the lion’s share of the Terre d’Instinct collection, Messika has also used colored stones for the first time. Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025 Foreclosure would become nonviable as a means of tax collection — with no readily apparent alternative means for timely collection of the delinquent revenue. Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for collection

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of collection was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Collection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collection. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

collection

noun
col·​lec·​tion kə-ˈlek-shən How to pronounce collection (audio)
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
3
: a gathering of money
take up a collection

More from Merriam-Webster on collection

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