collaboration
kuh-lab-uh-RAY-shun
/kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃn/
The action of working with someone to produce or create something.
Collaboration implies a deep integration of ideas, whereas 'cooperation' might just mean staying out of each other's way.
The story behind the word. The root is simple: 'laboring together.' It entered the English language in the mid-19th century, specifically to describe joint intellectual or artistic efforts.
Word relationships
- partnership: Partnership is a formal relationship; collaboration is the actual act of working together.
- isolation: Working alone without input from others.
Commonly confused with
- cooperation: Cooperation is helping someone; collaboration is working with them on a shared goal.
Word family
- collaborate (verb): To work together.
- collaborative (adjective): Involving work together.
Collocations
- close collaboration
- cross-functional collaboration
- spirit of collaboration
Example sentences
- "The new software was the result of a close collaboration between the engineering and design teams." A tech company's design process.
Memory hook
Collaboration is a 'Co-Labor'—working together. Collaboration = Labors combined.
When not to use
In wartime history, 'collaboration' can mean traitorously working with an enemy; be careful in historical contexts.
Fun facts
- The word 'collaboration' was rarely used in a positive sense until the 19th century; before then, it often implied working with an enemy.
Related words
Also appears in
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