collaborate

verb

col·​lab·​o·​rate kə-ˈla-bə-ˌrāt How to pronounce collaborate (audio)
collaborated; collaborating

intransitive verb

1
: to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor
An international team of scientists collaborated on the study.
2
: to cooperate with or willingly assist an enemy of one's country and especially an occupying force
suspected of collaborating with the enemy
3
: to cooperate with an agency or instrumentality with which one is not immediately connected
The two schools collaborate on library services.
collaboration noun
collaborative
kə-ˈla-bə-ˌrā-tiv
-b(ə-)rə- How to pronounce collaborate (audio)
adjective or noun
collaboratively adverb

Did you know?

The Latin prefix com-, meaning "with, together, or jointly," is a bit of a chameleon—it has a tricky habit of changing its appearance depending on what it's next to. If the word it precedes begins with l, com- becomes col- (as in colleague, collect, and collide). In the case of collaborate, com- teamed up with laborare ("to labor") to form Late Latin collaborare ("to labor together").

Examples of collaborate in a Sentence

The two companies agreed to collaborate. He was suspected of collaborating with the occupying army.
Recent Examples on the Web He’s since collaborated with the likes of Blond:ish, Armand Van Helden, Diplo, Claptone, and MK. Danny Klein, SPIN, 9 Mar. 2024 Arizona is one of a handful of states that collaborates with local election officials to produce a guidebook for election administration, said Tammy Patrick chief executive officer of Election Center, part of the National Association of Election Officials. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 The Emmy winning actress collaborated with Coca-Cola to unveil their latest flavor. Essence, 8 Mar. 2024 In 2017, the two founders began collaborating on concepts for snacks and food products, and Miller became a limited partner in Rap Snacks. Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Other duties include collaborating with executive leadership on development and communication strategic plans. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024 The Ducks had previously collaborated with Adidas, as had other NHL teams, much as NFL franchises had with Nike, but both were under the broader scope of an agreement for those brands to outfit the entire league. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 7 Mar. 2024 Showcase your ability to collaborate by actively participating in group discussions. Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Cybersecurity communities and technology innovators must collaborate to balance patient safety and business growth. Dewayne Hart, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'collaborate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin collaboratus, past participle of collaborare to labor together, from Latin com- + laborare to labor — more at labor

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of collaborate was in 1871

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near collaborate

Cite this Entry

“Collaborate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collaborate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

collaborate

verb
col·​lab·​o·​rate kə-ˈlab-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce collaborate (audio)
collaborated; collaborating
1
: to work with others (as in writing a book)
2
: to cooperate with an enemy force that has taken over one's country
collaboration noun
collaborationist
-sh(ə-)nəst
noun
collaborator noun

Legal Definition

collaborate

intransitive verb
col·​lab·​o·​rate kə-ˈla-bə-ˌrāt How to pronounce collaborate (audio)
collaborated; collaborating
: to work jointly with others in some endeavor

More from Merriam-Webster on collaborate

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