Collective is used for things done by people workingdoing a job or activity, often continuously and with effort together, or for something that belongsis owned by, or is a proper part of, someone or something to a group as a whole. It can also mean a group of people joined in a shared enterprisea business or project, especially one that involves effort and risk.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-10. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /kəˈlɛktɪv/
Easy pronunciation: kuh-LEK-tiv (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress on the second syllable: LEK.
Adjective: done by or characteristic of individuals acting together.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-10. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Collective Meaning
done together by a group of people
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: done by or characteristic of individuals acting together
Example: The team made a collective decision.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- corporate — Works for actions or qualities shared by a group.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-10. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Collective
Meaning 2
considered as one whole group or total
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: forming a whole or aggregate
Example: The report looks at the collective effects of the changes.
Meaning 3
a group of people who run an organization together
Part of speech: noun
Definition: members of a cooperative enterprise
Example: She lives and works in a farming collective.
Meaning 4
organized so workers or the state own and run it together
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: set up on the principle of collectivism or ownership and production by the workers involved usually under the supervision of a government
Example: The village was known for its collective farms.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-10. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Collective Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- corporate
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-10. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using collective as if it always means a group noun; it is often an adjective.
- Confusing collective with distributive, which is the opposite idea.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-10. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does collective mean?
Collective usually means done by a group together, or relating to a group as a whole. It can also refer to a group organization or cooperative.
What is a simple synonym for collective?
For the main adjective sense, corporate is the closest dictionary-supported synonym in the supplied data.
Is collective a noun or an adjective?
It can be both. It is most often used as an adjective, but it can also be a noun meaning a cooperative group.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-10. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.