collective noun

A noun that denotes a collection of persons or things regarded as a unit.

Usage Note: In American usage, a collective noun takes a singular verb when it refers to the collection considered as a whole, as in The family was united on this question. The enemy is suing for peace. It takes a plural verb when it refers to the members of the group considered as individuals, as in My family are always fighting among themselves. The enemy were showing up in groups of three or four to turn in their weapons. In British usage, however, collective nouns are more often treated as plurals: The government have not announced a new policy. The team are playing in the test matches next week. A collective noun should not be treated as both singular and plural in the same construction; thus The family is determined to press its (not their) claim. Among the common collective nouns are committee, clergy, company, enemy, group, family, flock, public, and team. See Usage Notes at government, group.

collective noun

(Linguistics / Grammar) a noun that is singular in form but that refers to a group of people or things

Usage: Collective nouns are usually used with singular verbs: the family is on holiday; General Motors is mounting a big sales campaign. In British usage, however, plural verbs are sometimes employed in this context, esp when reference is being made to a collection of individual objects or people rather than to the group as a unit: the family are all on holiday. Care should be taken that the same collective noun is not treated as both singular and plural in the same sentence: the family is well and sends its best wishes or the family are all well and send their best wishes, but not the family is well and send their best wishes

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun

collective noun - a noun that is singular in form but refers to a group of people or things

noun - a content word that can be used to refer to a person, place, thing, quality, or action

Translations

collective noun

n (Gram) → Kollektivum nt, → Sammelbegriff m

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-ia capercailzie chough clergy collective collectively Collectiveness committee confused elderly deaf without speech deafblind dunlin governmental governmentally group grouped in public mediums noun	Whatever the collective noun for such a group is, there is a one at the Sage tonight. Get set for a whole week of musical fireworks... ALAN NICHOL rounds ... by Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England) In alphabetical order, this volume treats such grammatical topics as collective nouns, the definite article, indefinite subject, numerals: combinations of the cardinal thousands with numerals below one thousand--indefinite construction, and short vowels. A reference grammar of Egyptian Arabic by Reference & Research Book News What is the collective noun for a group of monkeys? Quick Quiz by Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England)	collection agency collection asset collection basket collection coordination facility line number collection management collection management authority collection manager collection operations management collection plan collection planning collection plate collection point collection requirement collection requirements management collection resource Collectional Collections and Collecting collective collective agreement collective bargaining collective call sign collective farm collective fruit collective mark collective memory collective noun collective nuclear, biological, and chemical protection collective ownership collective pitch lever collective security collective self-defense collective unconscious collectively Collectiveness collectivisation collectivise collectivised collectivism collectivist collectivistic collectivity collectivization collectivize collectivized collector collector of internal revenue collector's item collectorate Collectorship colleen Collegatary	Collective intelligence Collective Intelligence & the Semantic Web Collective Intelligence on Semantic Web Collective Intelligence Practitioners Initiative Collective Intelligent Brick Collective Interactions Collective investment fund Collective Investment Institutions Collective investment scheme Collective investment scheme Collective Investment Undertaking Collective investment vehicle Collective Investments Center collective ion accelerator Collective Limit Position Collective Management Organization collective mark collective members collective memories collective memory Collective mimicry Collective mimicry Collective mimicry Collective mimicry Collective Minds collective mode collective motion Collective Negotiation Agreement collective noun Collective nouns Collective nouns Collective nouns Collective nouns/All sorted by collective term Collective nouns/All sorted by collective term collective nuclear, biological, and chemical protection Collective number Collective Of Black Artists Collective of Musicians of Belfast Organisation Collective of Popular Organizations Collective of Self Help Groups Collective of Sex Workers and Supporters Collective of Web Experts Collective Operational Reaction Forces Collective Opposed to Police Brutality collective ownership collective ownerships collective paramagnetism Collective Peacekeeping Forces Collective Philanthropy Project collective pitch lever Collective plural Collective plural Collective Protection Collective Protection Equipment Collective Protection System Amphibious Backfit Collective Protection Unit collective protective shelter

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-ia
capercailzie
chough
clergy
collective
collectively
Collectiveness
committee
confused elderly
deaf without speech
deafblind
dunlin
governmental
governmentally
group
grouped
in public
mediums
noun

Whatever the collective noun for such a group is, there is a one at the Sage tonight.

Get set for a whole week of musical fireworks... ALAN NICHOL rounds ... by Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England)

In alphabetical order, this volume treats such grammatical topics as collective nouns, the definite article, indefinite subject, numerals: combinations of the cardinal thousands with numerals below one thousand--indefinite construction, and short vowels.

A reference grammar of Egyptian Arabic by Reference & Research Book News

What is the collective noun for a group of monkeys?

Quick Quiz by Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England)

collection agency

collection asset

collection basket

collection coordination facility line number

collection management

collection management authority

collection manager

collection operations management

collection plan