collocation

[ kol-uh-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of collocating.
2. the state or manner of being collocated.
3. the arrangement, especially of words in a sentence.
4. Linguistics. a co-occurrence of lexical items, as perform with operation or commit with crime.

Other Words From

• collo·cation·al collo·cative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of collocation¹

1595–1605; < Latin collocātiōn- (stem of collocātiō ), equivalent to collocāt ( us ) ( collocate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

“Regasification units are necessary in this context in Italy, but we believe that its collocation in a different place and in a different way would represent a much lighter burden for other communities than it is for us here.”

From New York Times

“Regasification units are necessary in this context in Italy, but we believe that its collocation in a different place and in a different way would represent a much lighter burden for other communities than it is for us here.”

From New York Times

The risk of these writers’ style, with their short chapters and darting insights, is randomness, and sometimes this book, whatever its thematic claims, seems to consist of what has come under the author’s eye, an arbitrary collocation.

From Los Angeles Times

The collocation of them is not unusual.

From New York Times

Seeing as “toxic” is Oxford Dictionary’s 2018 word of the year – its second most-frequent collocation is, of course, “toxic masculinity” – it makes sense that the year’s most thoughtful consideration of the subject can be found in Burning, the South Korean director Lee Chang-Dong’s psychological thriller that turns the love triangle of Jules and Jim on its head.

From The Guardian

Related Words

• allocation
• allotment
• analysis
• arrangement
• coordination
• designation
• distribution
• grade
• regulation