collective
n. countablen. a group of people who work together to reach a common goal or share a business. You often see this when artists or farmers join forces to share costs and profits.
n. a cooperative enterprise or group of individuals who work together toward a shared objective. Often used in political or economic contexts to describe organizations owned and managed by their members.
The local art collective holds a gallery show every month.
Farmers in the region formed a collective to negotiate better prices for their crops and share expensive machinery.
While individual members maintain their creative autonomy, the collective provides a unified platform for distribution and advocacy that none could achieve independently.
From Middle French collectif, from Latin collēctīvus, from collēctus, past participle of colligō (“I collect”), from com- (“together”) + legō (“I gather”). Compare French collectif. Doublet of colectivo.
Often functions as a collective noun, taking a singular verb in American English and frequently a plural verb in British English.