collective

adjective

col·lec·tive | \ kə-ˈlek-tiv

Definition of collective

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : denoting a number of persons or things considered as one group or whole flock is a collective word

2a : formed by collecting : aggregated

b of a fruit : multiple

3a : of, relating to, or being a group of individuals

b : involving all members of a group as distinct from its individuals a collective action

4 : marked by similarity among or with the members of a group the collective interests of the town

5 : collectivized or characterized by collectivism collective farming collective communities

6 : shared or assumed by all members of the group collective responsibility the collective opinion of the staff collective guilt

collective

noun

Definition of collective (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a collective body : group a social collective

2 : a cooperative unit or organization specifically : collective farm

3 : a helicopter control system governing lift

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Examples of collective in a Sentence

Adjective

We made a collective decision to go on strike. The incident became part of our collective memory. the collective wisdom of generations

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Together, the best friends create Supper Club, a collective for women to gather and feast unapologetically. — Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, "5 books not to miss: 'The Golden Hour,' 'The Chain,' 'Supper Club'," 6 July 2019 As a collective, the IDW provides college students with an alternative to the intersectional narrative that is the foundation of the contemporary progressive belief system. — Nate Hochman, National Review, "The Intellectual Dark Web’s Quiet Revolution," 5 July 2019 Ultimately, none of that chaos impacted the strength of the collective. — Janelle Bitker, SFChronicle.com, "People of color are creating new kinds of cooperative cafes and restaurants in Oakland," 5 July 2019 Reading was considered a solitary activity, and since we were tasked with building the collective, there were no books. — Sophia Moskalenko, Vox, "I was a child of Chernobyl," 2 July 2019 These people spend a collective 200 million hours a day fetching water from distant sources. — Robert F. Service, Science | AAAS, "New solar technology could produce clean drinking water for millions in need," 28 June 2019 The nonprofit connects with trans leaders and organizations across the country to build a collective that supports the transgender community on a local, state and federal level. — al.com, "50 years after Stonewall, black transwomen fight for change in Birmingham," 28 June 2019 Folks fans of Central Florida have two chances to catch a new collective out of South Florida. — Trevor Fraser, orlandosentinel.com, "Mona Lisa Tribe bring passion for folk to Sanford," 27 June 2019 The Phoenix Ladies Syndicate -- a female-only collective aimed at increasing the participation of women in racing across the United Arab Emirates -- paid £430,00 (about $545,000) for a horse called Forever in Dreams. — Matt Majendie, CNN, "London's boutique horse sale in Prince William's back yard," 26 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

New York The latest Whitney Biennial’s online guide features audio of many of the 75 individual artists and collectives talking about their work. — Peter Plagens, WSJ, "Whitney Biennial Review: Still Protesting, but to What End?," 15 May 2019 Velma Rossa, creative director Rossa is one-half of 2ManySiblings, a creative collective with her brother, Oliver Asike, concerned with exploring new African narratives in fashion and art. — Mosha Lundström Halbert, Vogue, "The Kenyan Cool Girl’s Guide to Nairobi," 2 July 2018 While about a dozen students have reached out to the Debt Collective, an advocacy group that helps borrowers, the collective said many more Art Institute of Phoenix students may be experiencing improper denials. — Rachel Leingang, azcentral, "Art Institute's former students were promised to get their debt erased. It's not happening," 19 June 2019 Defendant speaks Ghost Ship defendant Max Harris took the stand Monday morning and spoke calmly about his responsibilities in the Oakland artist collective, which included collecting rent and cleaning the Fruitvale neighborhood warehouse. — Taylor Kate Brown, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Briefing: ‘Cult’ winery defends itself — and its value," 18 June 2019 Indeed, there are plenty of legit motorcycling collectives, some of which call themselves riding clubs—as opposed to motorcycle clubs—to further distinguish themselves from the outlaws and thereby minimize potential conflict. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "Where Are Those Motorcyclists Going?," 27 May 2019 José Manuel Poot Chan, who oversees communications for a Campeche-wide beekeeping collective, sits on a bench. — Nina Strochlic, National Geographic, "An unlikely feud between beekeepers and Mennonites simmers in Mexico," 12 Apr. 2019 Pueblo Sin Fronteras, a small collective of volunteers based in the U.S. and Mexico, has drawn the ire of U.S. conservatives in recent years. — Patrick J. Mcdonnell, latimes.com, "Facing pressure from Trump, Mexico detains two migrant caravan organizers," 6 June 2019 For those who don't know, Gold House is a non-profit collective of trailblazing Asian founders and leaders whose mission is to champion fellow Asians and ensure their cultural impact gets recognized. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "These Are the People Being Honored on the A100 List of Influential Asians in 2019," 1 May 2019

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