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 Ratajkowski then approached her jeweler friend Alison Chemla—the creative director behind Alison Lou—to collaborate on her new concept. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024 Since 2020, Fortune and Deloitte have collaborated on a survey to understand CEO sentiment. Robert Stevens, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2024 Before teaming up to launch a completely new watch brand, Renaud and Tixier collaborated on two exceptional projects. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2024 Michael Arden — the Tony-winning director with whom Platt previously collaborated on the 2023 Tony-winning revival of Parade — will direct the residency, which will last from May 28 through June 15. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2024 Now, the Sense8 star says collaborating with her husband feels more fulfilling than any potential acting job. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 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

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 28 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!