collection
- 01 A2 Elementary
a group of objects that someone has gathered because they are interesting or valuable.
a set of items or amount of material gathered or presented together as a coherent group.
Simple“He has an impressive collection of old coins from all over the world.”
In context“The museum's permanent collection includes several rare manuscripts that have never been displayed to the public before.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
the act of picking things up or bringing them together.
the systematic process of gathering objects, data, or materials from various sources.
Simple“Trash collection usually happens early on Tuesday mornings.”
In context“The automated data collection system monitors traffic patterns every hour to help urban planners reduce congestion.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
money that is collected from people for a charity or a special reason.
the act of soliciting and gathering monetary contributions, often for charitable or religious purposes.
Simple“The church took up a collection to help the families affected by the fire.”
In context“The charity organised a door-to-door collection to raise funds for the new community hospital wing.”
Synonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
the work of getting money from people who have not paid their bills.
the process of pursuing payments of debts owed by individuals or businesses.
Simple“If you don't pay your bill soon, the account will be sent to a collection agency.”
In context“The legal department specialises in debt collection, ensuring that all outstanding invoices are settled within the fiscal quarter.”
UsageOften used in the plural form 'collections' to refer to a department in a company.
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
a group of musical notes that a composer chooses to use in a piece of music.
a set of pitch classes used as the harmonic or melodic basis for a musical composition.
Simple“The composer used a specific collection of notes to create a haunting melody.”
In context“The analyst noted that the entire movement is derived from a single hexachordal collection, providing a sense of structural unity.”
Usage systematic collection
From Middle English colleccioun, collection, from Old French collection, from Latin collēctiō, collēctiōnem, from collēctus, from colligō (“collect together”), composed of con- + legō (“bring together, gather, collect”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to gather, collect”). Equivalen to collect + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.