/ kəˈlektɪv; NAmE / adjective , noun
■ adjective [ usually before noun ]
1.
done or shared by all members of a group of people; involving a whole group or society :
collective leadership / decision-making / responsibility
collective memory (= things that a group of people or a community know or remember, that are often passed from parents to children)
2.
used to refer to all members of a group :
The collective name for mast, boom and sails on a boat is the 'rig'.
► col·lect·ive·ly adverb :
the collectively agreed rate
We have had a successful year, both collectively and individually.
rain, snow and hail, collectively known as 'precipitation' (= as a group)
■ noun
a group of people who own a business or a farm and run it together; the business that they run :
an independent collective making films for television
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense representing many individuals ): from Old French collectif , -ive or Latin collectivus , from collect- gathered together, from the verb colligere , from col- together + legere choose or collect.