collective noun

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Collective Noun

A collective noun is a type of noun that refers to a group of people, animals, or things as a single unit. Even though it is singular in form, it describes multiple items or individuals.

Usage Instructions

When you use a collective noun, you treat it as one whole group. For example, you would say "The team is winning" instead of "The team are winning." This is because "team" is a collective noun.

Examples

1. Team: "The team is practicing for the championship."
2. Flock: "A flock of birds flew over the lake."
3. Class: "The class was excited about the field trip."

Advanced Usage

Sometimes, collective nouns can be used with plural verbs, especially in British English. For example, you might hear: "The team are preparing for their next match." This emphasizes the individual members of the team rather than the team as a whole.

Word Variants

• Collectively (adverb): "The students worked collectively on the project."
• Collectiveness (noun): "The collectiveness of the group made it easier to solve problems."

Different Meanings

• In a broader sense, "collective" can refer to any shared or joint action or effort, such as "collective decision-making," which means making decisions together as a group.

Synonyms

• Group
• Assembly
• Crowd
• Bunch
• Brigade (for specific groups, like a military group)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

While there aren’t specific idioms or phrasal verbs that directly relate to collective nouns, you might encounter phrases that imply groups, such as: - "Band together": This means to unite or join forces with others. - "The whole nine yards": This phrase means everything involved in a situation, typically referring to a complete effort or a group.

Academic

Noun

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