collective

Everyday

1. (adjective) Done or shared by all members of a group together. tree →
2. (noun) A group of people who work together and share what they make or own. tree →
3. (grammar) A collective noun is a word for a group, like a flock of sheep, a team or a herd. tree →

In the lessons

Used in grammar lessons (collective nouns: a pride of lions, a swarm of bees), citizenship (collective decisions) and everyday life (collective effort). Phrases: collective noun, collective effort, collective responsibility, a farmers' collective.

Examples

• "Flock" is a collective noun for sheep. tree →
• It was a collective effort to clean the beach. tree →
• The class made a collective decision to raise money for the zoo. tree →
• A pride of lions is a collective noun. tree →
• The artists formed a collective and shared a studio. tree →
• We felt a collective sigh of relief when the test ended. tree →
• A murder of crows is a funny collective noun. tree →

Note

Adverb: collectively. With collective nouns, UK English often uses a plural verb (the team are winning), US uses singular (the team is winning). Related: collect, collection.