collaborative

The word “collaborative” means involving people working together rather than alone. In plain terms, done as a joint effort, not solo.

“Collaborative” is pronounced kuh-LAB-uh-ruh-tihv (/kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv/ in IPA).

Here is “collaborative” used in a sentence: “The company encourages a collaborative approach to problem-solving.”

“Collaborative” is an adjective.

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

Collaborative describes people actively working together on a shared task or project, often implying joint creative or intellectual effort, while cooperative more broadly describes people helping or working alongside each other, which can include simply not obstructing one another. Collaborative tends to suggest a more active, integrated form of teamwork.

Collaborative emphasizes the active process of people working together toward a shared goal, while collective describes something done or owned by a group as a whole, without necessarily emphasizing active joint effort. A collaborative project involves people working in tandem, whereas a collective decision simply reflects the group's combined view.

Collaborative is a fairly neutral, professional-sounding word commonly used in business, academic, and workplace contexts to describe teamwork. It fits comfortably in both formal writing and everyday professional conversation without sounding overly casual or overly stiff.