Definition & Meaning of "collective noun"

What is a "collective noun"?

A collective noun is a noun that refers to a group of individuals, animals, or things considered as a single unit. These nouns describe collections or groups rather than individual members. Examples of collective nouns include "team," "flock," "family," and "crowd." For instance, in the sentence "The team won the game," the collective noun "team" represents a group of players acting together. Collective nouns can take singular or plural verbs depending on whether the group is being considered as a single entity or as individuals. Understanding collective nouns is important for accurately conveying the nature of groups in language.