collective

Etymology

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.

adj

1. Formed by gathering or collecting; gathered into a mass, sum, or body.
   the collective body of a nation
2. Tending to collect; forming a collection.
3. Having plurality of origin or authority.
4. (grammar) Expressing a collection or aggregate of individuals, by a singular form.
5. (obsolete) Deducing consequences; reasoning; inferring.

noun

1. A farm owned by a collection of people.
2. (especially in communist countries) One of more farms managed and owned, through the state, by the community.
3. (grammar) A collective noun or name.
4. (by extension) A group dedicated to a particular cause or interest.
   There are, however, a number of contemporary artists and art collectives that have defined their practice precisely around the facilitation of dialogue among diverse communities. 2005, Zoya Kocur, Simon Leung, Theory in contemporary art since 1985, page 76
   Critical Art Ensemble is one of many art collectives operating on the principle that information is power and that it is most effectively made available through a combination of science and aesthetics. 2006-03-05, Holland Cotter, “The Collective Conscious”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
   Today’s collectives create together, tour together, exhibit together, live together, survive together, eat together, sleep together, march together, fight together and party together, too. 2021-10-13, Adam Bradley, “The Creative Collectives Finding Strength in Numbers”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
5. The flight control used to control a helicopter's ascent or descent.
   A pilot normally holds the collective stationary until the helicopter stops; however, to get more braking action, lower the collective slightly. Keep in mind that, due to the increased ground friction when the collective is lowered or[…] 2012, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Helicopter Flying Handbook: FAA-H-8083-21A, Ravenio Books
   Hover height, rate of ascent, and the rate of descent are controlled by using the collective. Helicopter position and the direction of travel are controlled by the cyclic. 2021-07-27, Federal Aviation Administration, Helicopter Flying Handbook: FAA-H-8083-21B, Simon and Schuster