What does "collaborative" mean?

1. (working together) involving two or more people or groups working together to achieve something. 2. (a cooperative group) a group of people or companies that work together on a specific project.

How do you use "collaborative"?

Often used with nouns like 'effort', 'project', 'approach', or 'environment'.

collaborative

adj. · n.

US //kəˈɫæbɝˌeɪtɪv// UK //kəlˈæbɹətˌɪv// col·lab·o·ra·tive

1 working together (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

involving two or more people or groups working together to achieve something.

produced by or involving two or more parties working together toward a common goal.

Example

The final report was a collaborative effort between the marketing and sales teams.

Example

The research paper was the result of a collaborative project involving three international universities and several private laboratories.

Usage

Often used with nouns like 'effort', 'project', 'approach', or 'environment'.
2 a cooperative group (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal Academic

a group of people or companies that work together on a specific project.

a cooperative arrangement or an organized group of individuals or entities collaborating toward a specific objective.

Example

The artists formed a collaborative to share studio space and gallery costs.

Example

The regional healthcare collaborative was established to streamline patient data sharing across several independent hospital networks.

Teacher's tip

While the adjective is common at B2, the noun use is more specialized and often found in professional or artistic contexts.

Origin

From collaborate + -ive.