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

The space was created in celebration of a new Nike collection, with campaign photos styled by Marquez and shot by Thalía Gochez meeting you as soon as you walked in.

From Los Angeles Times

He says the album, set to be released in full in February, is "more outward-pointing than Seventeen Going Under was," describing it as "a collection of stories".

From BBC

But in recent years, experts say, with growing ethical concerns about collection, sale and display of human remains, many collectors are reconsidering their approach.

From BBC

In the decades that followed, the women's bones were held in Edinburgh University's huge anatomical collection, stored in boxes in a vault alongside evidence from the case.

From BBC

Next, Medvedev said his theory can be tested with collection of more data from the Crab Pulsar and fine-tuned by factoring in its powerful and strange gravitational and polarization effects.

From Science Daily

Related Words

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