adj. 1. Assembled into or viewed as a whole. 2. Of, relating to, characteristic of, or made by a number of people acting as a group: a collective decision. n. 1. An undertaking, such as a business operation, set up on the principles or system of collectivism. 2. A collective noun. [From Latin collectīvus, collected, collective : collēctus, past participle of colligere, to collect; see COLLECT1 + -īvus, adjective suffix.] col·lective·ly adv. col·lective·ness n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.