collection

[ kuh-lek-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of collecting.
2. something that is collected; a group of objects or an amount of material accumulated in one location, especially for some purpose or as a result of some process: a collection of unclaimed hats in the checkroom;

   a stamp collection;

   a collection of unclaimed hats in the checkroom;

   a collection of books on Churchill.

   Synonyms: store, hoard, pile, heap, aggregation, accumulation, mass

3. the works of art constituting the holdings of an art museum:

   a history of the museum and of the collection.

4. the gathered or exhibited works of a single painter, sculptor, etc.:

   an excellent Picasso collection.

5. collections, the various holdings of an art museum organized by category, as painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, or film:

   the director of the collections.

6. the clothes or other items produced by a designer, especially for a seasonal line:

   the spring collection.

7. a sum of money collected, especially for charity or church use.

   Synonyms: alms, contribution(s)

8. Manège. act of bringing or coming into a collected attitude.

collection

/ kəˈlɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of collecting
2. a number of things collected or assembled together
3. a selection of clothes, esp as presented by a particular designer for a specified season
4. something gathered into a mass or pile; accumulation

   a collection of rubbish

5. a sum of money collected or solicited, as in church
6. removal, esp regular removal of letters from a postbox
7. often plural (at Oxford University) a college examination or an oral report by a tutor

Other Words From

• col·lection·al adjective
• noncol·lection noun
• precol·lection noun
• subcol·lection noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of collection¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English colleccioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin collēctiōn-, stem of collēctiō “a gathering together,” from collēct(us) “gathered together” (past participle of colligere; collect ¹ ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

That analysis involved reviewing around 70 archaeological reports that detailed the systematic collection and analysis of nearly two million animal bones.

From Science Daily

Her works are filled with whimsy and joy, including a collection of platters and plates featuring inlaid porcelain flowers, vaguely defined creatures that hold birthday candles, penguin pitchers and buddhas.

From Los Angeles Times

Smith described it as “a beautiful collection of memory, love, joy and sadness — all of it pooled together in a singular experience.”

From Los Angeles Times

They found that none of the collections accurately represents the gender, racial or disability diversity among real chemists today.

From Science Daily

It also calls for expanding national health privacy laws to cover health-related information collected from health apps and fitness trackers and making it easier for users to opt out of body-centric data collections.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assemblage
• assortment
• compilation
• lot
• number
• selection
• set
• store