English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
verb C1 Advanced Uncommon

collaborate

kuh-LAB-uh-rayt

Collaborate (verb) means to work together with someone else toward a shared goal. Example: “The two universities collaborated on a new vaccine study.”

verb
1
To work together with someone else toward a shared goal.
"The two universities collaborated on a new vaccine study."
"She collaborated with a local artist on the mural."
2
To cooperate, often disloyally, with an enemy or occupying power.
"He was accused of collaborating with the invading army."

How to use collaborate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishWorking jointly with others on something — usually positive, but can mean traitorous cooperation with an enemy in a wartime context.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
collaborate with collaborate on a project

Word forms

collaborated past tense, collaborates singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “collaborate” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The two universities _____ on a new vaccine study.

Etymology

A back-formation from "collaborator", ultimately from Latin collaborare, "to work together with".

Origin: Latin

Related words

Rhymes for collaborate

See all rhymes for collaborate →

Frequently asked questions

What does “collaborate” mean?

The word “collaborate” means to work together with someone else toward a shared goal. In plain terms, working jointly with others on something — usually positive, but can mean traitorous cooperation with an enemy in a wartime context.

How do you pronounce “collaborate”?

“Collaborate” is pronounced kuh-LAB-uh-rayt (/kəˈlæb.ə.ɹeɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “collaborate” in a sentence?

Here is “collaborate” used in a sentence: “The two universities collaborated on a new vaccine study.”

What is another word for “collaborate”?

Words with a similar meaning to “collaborate” include liaise.

What part of speech is “collaborate”?

“Collaborate” is a verb.

Where does the word “collaborate” come from?

The word “collaborate” comes from Latin. A back-formation from "collaborator", ultimately from Latin collaborare, "to work together with".

Is “collaborate” a common word?

“Collaborate” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

How many meanings does “collaborate” have?

“Collaborate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to work together with someone else toward a shared goal.

People also searched

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial