collective noun

American  

noun

Grammar.

1. a noun, as herd, jury, or clergy, that appears singular in formal shape but denotes a group of persons or objects.

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collective noun British  

noun

1. a noun that is singular in form but that refers to a group of people or things

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Grammar

Whether a collective noun, which is singular in form, is used with a singular or plural verb depends on whether the word is referring to the group as a unit or to its members as individuals. In American English, a collective noun naming an organization regarded as a unit is usually treated as singular: The corporation is holding its annual meeting. The team is having a winning season. The government has taken action. In British English, such nouns are commonly treated as plurals: The corporation are holding their annual meeting. The team are playing well. The government are in agreement. When a collective noun naming a group of persons is treated as singular, it is referred to by the relative pronoun that or which: His crew is one that (or which ) works hard. When such a noun is treated as plural, the pronoun is who: His crew are specialists who volunteered for the project. In formal speech and writing, collective nouns are usually not treated as both singular and plural in the same sentence: The enemy is fortifying its (not their ) position. The enemy are bringing up their heavy artillery. When the collective nouns couple and pair refer to people, they are usually treated as plurals: The newly married couple have found a house near good transportation. The pair are busy furnishing their new home. The collective noun number, when preceded by a, is treated as a plural: A number of solutions were suggested. When preceded by the, it is treated as a singular: The number of solutions offered was astounding. Other common collective nouns are class, crowd, flock, panel, committee, group, audience, staff, and family.

Usage

Collective nouns are usually used with singular verbs: the family is on holiday ; General Motors is mounting a big sales campaign . In British usage, however, plural verbs are sometimes employed in this context, esp when reference is being made to a collection of individual objects or people rather than to the group as a unit: the family are all on holiday . Care should be taken that the same collective noun is not treated as both singular and plural in the same sentence: the family is well and sends its best wishes or the family are all well and send their best wishes, but not the family is well and send their best wishes

Etymology

Origin of collective noun

First recorded in 1510–20

Example Sentences

The worms sleep together in a pile, she noted, and for that reason she and her colleagues have been trying to popularize the phrase “a cuddle of velvet worms” as a collective noun.

From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2020

The headline on Margaret Sullivan’s June 10 Style column, “What the media has lost since Watergate,” used “media” as a collective noun.

From Washington Post • Jun. 21, 2019

In Greek mythology tales of haunting journeys down the rivers of the dead are sufficiently common that they have their own collective noun: katabasis.

From The Guardian • May 8, 2019

Autograph chasers, as they are known in the biz, lack a collective noun: a desperation, perhaps?

From Golf Digest • Jun. 22, 2017

If the subject is a collective noun, one may regard it as either singular or plural.

From News Writing The Gathering , Handling and Writing of News Stories by Spencer, M. Lyle (Matthew Lyle)