collective noun

noun

: a noun such as "team" or "flock" that refers to a group of people or things

Examples of collective noun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rushdie stood to say hello, and Rickman commented that there should be a collective noun for their table. Dwight Garner, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2022 Duranies — the enduring collective noun for Duran Duran fans — had hoped for an on-stage reunion with Taylor and his former bandmates, the first in 17 years. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 13 Jan. 2023 Siegfried & Roy’s streak—one collective noun for a group of tigers; another is ambush—began in 1983 with the acquisition of three white cubs, imported from India via the Cincinnati Zoo. Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2022 There is even a funny but mean collective noun for them: a consternation of mothers-in-law. Beth Thames | Bethmthames@gmail.com, al, 4 May 2022 So what’s the correct collective noun for butterflies? Steven Litt, cleveland, 9 Jan. 2022 That means the tower's unkindness of ravens — the birds' suitably gothic collective noun — is down to seven, so perilously close to the minimum. NBC News, 14 Jan. 2021 What's the collective noun for a bunch of poets laureate in one place together? Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2 Dec. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'collective noun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near collective noun

Cite this Entry

“Collective noun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collective%20noun. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on collective noun

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!