collaboration
kuh-lab-uh-RAY-shun
/kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃən/
The action of working with someone to produce or create something.
Emphasizes joint effort and shared responsibility towards a common goal, often implying creative or intellectual partnership.
The story behind the word. The word 'collaboration' comes from the Latin 'collaborare,' which means 'to labor together.' It's formed from 'com-' (meaning 'with' or 'together') and 'laborare' (meaning 'to work'). So, it literally means working side-by-side to achieve a common goal. While it has a negative connotation in some historical contexts (like collaborating with an enemy), its primary modern meaning is positive and constructive.
Word relationships
- cooperation: A broader term for working together, often implying simply helping each other, while collaboration suggests a more integrated, shared creative process.
- teamwork: Focuses on the combined effort of a group, often with defined roles, to achieve a common goal.
- partnership: A formal agreement or relationship between two or more parties working together, often with legal or business implications.
- competition: Striving to gain or win something by defeating others.
- individualism: A social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.
Commonly confused with
- cooperation: Cooperation is working together; collaboration is working together to create something new, often with shared intellectual input.
Word family
- collaborate (verb): To work jointly on an activity or project.
- collaborative (adjective): Produced or conducted by two or more parties working together.
- collaborator (noun): A person who collaborates.
Collocations
- close collaboration
- effective collaboration
- foster collaboration
- international collaboration
- successful collaboration
Example sentences
- "The groundbreaking research was the result of a close collaboration between scientists from three different universities." Describing a successful scientific endeavor.
- "Many contemporary artists engage in cross-media collaboration, blending visual arts with performance or digital elements." Discussing modern art projects.
Memory hook
COLLABORATION is when you 'CO-LABOR' with others to create something. Co-labor
When not to use
Avoid using 'collaboration' for simple delegation or when one party is merely assisting another without shared ownership of the outcome.
Fun facts
- During World War II, 'collaboration' gained a negative connotation, referring to cooperation with an enemy occupation force. This specific historical usage is still sometimes invoked, though less common in general business contexts.
- The concept of collaboration is central to many modern work methodologies, such as Agile and Scrum, which emphasize cross-functional teams.
Related words
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.