Collective Meaning

/kəˈlɛktɪv/
B2

Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

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adjFormed by gathering or collecting; gathered into a mass, sum, or body.

adjTending to collect; forming a collection.

Collective responsibility means irresponsibility.
Collective rules are not set straightaway but progressively win recognition.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ decision of the committee was to postpone the event until spring.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *léǵeti Proto-Italic *legō Latin legō Latin colligō Latin collēctus Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Latin collēctīvusder. Middle French collectifder. English collective From Middle French collectif, from Latin collēctīvus, from collēctus, past participle of colligō (“to collect”), from com- (“together”) + legō (“to gather”). Compare French collectif. Doublet of colectivo.

"Local is his throne […] to fix a point, / A central point, collective of his sons." — 1743, [Edward Young], “Night the Fourth. The Christian Triumph.”, in The Complaint: Or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality, London: […] R[obert] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, page 18:
"critical and collective reason" — 1642, [Thomas Browne], “(please specify the page)”, in Religio Medici, London: […] Andrew Crooke, →OCLC:
"There are, however, a number of contemporary artists and art collectives that have defined their practice precisely around the facilitation of dialogue among diverse communities." — 2005, Zoya Kocur, Simon Leung, Theory in contemporary art since 1985, page 76:
"Critical Art Ensemble is one of many art collectives operating on the principle that information is power and that it is most effectively made available through a combination of science and aesthetics." — 2006 March 5, Holland Cotter, “The Collective Conscious”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
"Today’s collectives create together, tour together, exhibit together, live together, survive together, eat together, sleep together, march together, fight together and party together, too." — 2021 October 13, Adam Bradley, “The Creative Collectives Finding Strength in Numbers”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

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CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ decision of the committee was to postpone the event until spring.

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