In school, we have always heard that a group of birds is called a flock, a group of wolves is called a pack, a group of ants is called a colony, etc. Most of us don’t know but all these terms, flock, pack, and colony come under one umbrella term of collective noun. In school, we don’t pay attention to grammar parts like nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc. In this blog, we will discuss one of the forms of nouns, i.e., collective nouns explanation in detail. In this blog, you will understand collective noun meanings with their meanings and examples. By understanding this complex concept of grammar, you can learn English very easily.
What is a Collective Noun?
A Collective Noun is a word that refers to a group of things, people, or creatures of the same species or type. In Hindi, it is called ‘समूहवाचक संज्ञा‘. Take the word ‘flock’, which refers to a group of many birds or animals. Similarly, ‘class’ is used for a group of students and ‘team’ refers to a group of players. Collective nouns express a way of unity and collectivity and are used to make language more precise and meaningful.
समूहवाचक संज्ञा एक ही प्रजाति या प्रकार की चीज़ों, लोगों या प्राणियों के समूह के बारे में बताता है। जैसे कई पक्षियों या जानवरों के समूह को ‘झुंड’ कहा जाता है। इसी प्रकार, ‘class’ का इस्तेमाल विद्यार्थियों के समूह के लिए किया जाता है और ‘team’ का इस्तेमाल खिलाड़ियों के समूह के लिए किया जाता है। समूहवाचक संज्ञा एकता और सामूहिकता के बारे में बताने का एक तरीका व्यक्त करती हैं और भाषा को ज़्यादा सटीक और सार्थक बनाने के लिए उपयोग की जाती हैं।
Collective Noun Definition and Example
“A collective noun is a noun that denotes a group of individuals or things regarded as a single entity.”
“समूहवाचक संज्ञा वह संज्ञा है जो एक इकाई माने जाने वाले व्यक्तियों या वस्तुओं के समूह के बारे में बताती है।”
Example
Audience: Refers to a group of people who come together to watch or listen to a performance.
उन लोगों का समूह जो किसी प्रदर्शन को देखने या सुनने के लिए एक साथ आते हैं।
Example sentence: The audience applauded the performance enthusiastically.
दर्शकों ने उत्साहपूर्वक performance की सराहना की।
How and Where to Use Collective Nouns
Collective nouns can be used in different ways and here we have highlighted how we can use collective nouns in sentences and what important points we must keep in mind.
Group Noun: Collective nouns are used when talking about a group of people, things, or organisms of the same type. Like “herd” (group of animals), “team” (group of players), and “class” (group of students).
Collective noun का इस्तेमाल किसी एक जैसी चीज़ के समूह के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है।
Sentence Placement: These are used as names of that group in the sentence. Like “the team won” or “the class is sitting peacefully”.
इनका इस्तेमाल किसी भी वाक्य में किसी समूह को एक नाम देने के लिए किया जाता है।
Singular Noun: Nouns are concentrated in the singular, even if they refer to a group of more than one person or thing. Like “herd”, “class”, and “army”.
Collective noun को अक्सर singular form में देखा जाता है भले ही वो किसी समूह के बारे में बात कर रहा हो।
Quality and Action: When using collective nouns, it is important to note that the group name’s characteristics and verbs are singular. Like “The army is ready” (all the soldiers are together, but the verb is singular).
Collective noun का इस्तेमाल करते वक़्त समूह का नाम, verb और action हमेशा singular या एकवचन में इस्तेमाल किये जाते हैं।
Selection of the verbs: Carefully select the form of the verb with the collective noun. As in “The team won”, ‘won’ is a singular verb, although there are several people in the team.
इसमें verb का इस्तेमाल बहुत ध्यान से किया जाता है, जहाँ verb अक्सर singular या एकवचन में इस्तेमाल होता है।
Combination and Mixture: Sometimes other nouns are also used with the collective noun, such as “member of a team”, in which ‘team’ is the collective noun and ‘member’ is a common noun.
कई बार collective noun के साथ और भी noun का इस्तेमाल किया जाता है, जैसे common noun या proper noun.
Major Confusion: Collective Noun Singular or Plural?
Collective nouns, which describe a group of individuals or things as a single unit, can be either singular or plural based on context and regional usage. In American English, collective nouns are generally treated as singular, so one might say, “The committee is meeting today.” In contrast, British English often treats them as plural, leading to the sentence, “The committee are meeting today.” This difference underscores the flexibility of collective nouns, reflecting either the group’s unity or the individuality of its members, depending on how one chooses to emphasize the collective or separate nature of the group.
American English में collective noun को singular की तरह इस्तेमाल किया जाता है और British English में collective noun का इस्तेमाल plural की तरह किया जाता है।
What is the difference between collective nouns and proper nouns?
The difference between collective nouns and proper nouns is how they function:
Collective Nouns: These nouns refer to groups of people, animals, or things considered as a single unit. Examples include “team,” “flock,” “family,” and “audience.” Despite referring to multiple individuals or items, collective nouns are treated as singular or plural based on context. For example, “The team is winning” (singular) or “The team are celebrating” (plural).
Proper Nouns: These nouns name specific, individual entities, such as people, places, organizations, or brands. They are always written in capital form to distinguish them from common nouns. Examples include “Jatin,” “Mumbai,” “Apple Inc.,” and “Humayun Tomb.” Proper nouns identify unique entities and are used to refer to one particular thing or person.
20+ Examples of Collective Nouns
Here you will find a list of collective nouns examples with their meanings and examples that will help you understand the concepts of collective nouns in a better way.
Examples of Collective Nouns for People
Here is a list of collective noun examples for people with their meanings and examples:
Crew
English Meaning: A group of people who work together, especially on a ship, aircraft, or film set.
Hindi Meaning: लोगों का एक समूह जो एक साथ काम करते हैं, खासकर जहाज, विमान या फिल्म सेट पर।
Example: The crew of the spaceship worked tirelessly to prepare for the launch.
अंतरिक्ष यान के crew ने launch की तैयारी के लिए बहुत मेहनत की।
Committee
English Meaning: A group of people appointed to perform a specific function or task, usually involving decision-making or planning.
Hindi Meaning: किसी ख़ास काम को करने के लिए लगे लोगों का एक समूह, जिसमें आमतौर पर फैसले लेना या योजना बनाना शामिल होता है।
Example: The committee met to finalize the details of the charity event.
Charity कार्यक्रम की detail को अंतिम रूप देने के लिए समिति की बैठक हुई।
Audience
English Meaning: A group of people who gather to watch or listen to a performance, speech, or event.
Hindi Meaning: लोगों का एक समूह जो किसी प्रदर्शन, भाषण या कार्यक्रम को देखने या सुनने के लिए इकट्ठा होता है।
Example: The audience erupted in applause after the final act of the play.
नाटक के अंतिम अभिनय के बाद दर्शक तालियों से गूंज उठे।
Team
English Meaning: A group of people working together towards a common goal or task, often in sports or work.
Hindi Meaning: एक समान लक्ष्य या काम के लिए एक साथ काम करने वाले लोगों का समूह, अक्सर खेल या काम में।
Example: The marketing team developed a new campaign to boost sales.
Marketing team ने बिक्री बढ़ाने के लिए एक नया अभियान तैयार किया।
Class
English Meaning: A group of students learning together under the guidance of a teacher.
Hindi Meaning: एक शिक्षक के मार्गदर्शन में छात्रों का एक समूह जो एक साथ सीखता है।
Example: The class was excited about their upcoming field trip to the zoo.
कक्षा चिड़ियाघर की अपनी आने वाली यात्रा को लेकर उत्साहित थी।
Staff
English Meaning: A group of people employed to work for an organization or business.
Hindi Meaning: किसी संगठन या business में काम करने के लिए लगे लोगों का समूह।
Example: The staff at the hotel provided excellent customer service to all guests.
Hotel के कर्मचारियों ने सभी मेहमानों को उत्कृष्ट ग्राहक सेवा प्रदान की।
Council
English Meaning: A group of people elected or appointed to make decisions or provide advice on specific issues.
Hindi Meaning: ख़ास मुद्दों पर फैसले लेने या सलाह देने के लिए नियुक्त लोगों का एक समूह।
Example: The city council debated the new housing regulations during their meeting.
नगर परिषद ने अपनी बैठक के दौरान नए आवास नियमों पर बहस की।
Band
English Meaning: A group of musicians who perform together, or a group of people with a common interest or activity.
Hindi Meaning: संगीतकारों का एक समूह जो एक साथ perform करते हैं, या समान रुचि या गतिविधि वाले लोगों का समूह।
Example: The jazz band played lively tunes at the festival.
जश्न में jazz band ने जीवंत धुनें बजाईं।
Gang
English Meaning: A group of people, often with a negative connotation referring to a group engaged in criminal activities or a close-knit group of friends.
Hindi Meaning: लोगों का एक समूह, जिसका मतलब आपराधिक गतिविधियों में लिप्त समूह या दोस्तों के घनिष्ठ समूह से होता है।
Example: The gang of friends enjoyed hanging out at the local café.
दोस्तों की gang ने cafe में घूमने का आनंद लिया।
Tribe
English Meaning: A social group of people, often with a shared culture, language, or social structure.
Hindi Meaning: लोगों का एक सामाजिक समूह जिनकी एक जैसी संस्कृति, भाषा या सामाजिक संरचना होती है।
Example: The tribe celebrated their traditional festival with music and dance.
जनजाति ने संगीत और नृत्य के साथ अपना पारंपरिक त्योहार मनाया।
Examples of Collective Nouns for Animals
Here is collective nouns list for people with their meanings and examples:
Herd
English Meaning: A large group of grazing animals, such as cows, elephants, or deer.
Hindi Meaning: चरने वाले जानवरों का एक बड़ा समूह, जैसे गाय, हाथी या हिरण।
Example: The herd of elephants moved slowly across the savannah.
हाथियों का झुंड धीरे-धीरे पूरे सवाना में घूम रहा है।
Pack
English Meaning: A group of wolves or dogs, often hunting or travelling together.
Hindi Meaning: भेड़ियों या कुत्तों का एक समूह, जो अक्सर एक साथ शिकार करते हैं या घूमते हैं।
Example: The pack of wolves howled under the full moon.
भेड़ियों का झुंड पूर्णिमा के चाँद के नीचे चिल्ला रहा था।
Flock
English Meaning: A group of birds or sheep.
Hindi Meaning: पक्षियों या भेड़ों का समूह।
Example: The flock of sheep wandered through the meadow.
भेड़ों का झुंड घास के मैदान में भटक रहा था।
Pride
English Meaning: A group of lions.
Hindi Meaning: शेरों का एक समूह।
Example: The pride of lions rested in the shade after a successful hunt.
सफल शिकार के बाद शेरों का समूह छाया में आराम कर रहा था।
Colony
English Meaning: A group of animals living together, such as ants, penguins, or bats.
Hindi Meaning: एक साथ रहने वाले जानवरों का समूह, जैसे चींटियाँ, penguin, चमगादड़।
Example: The colony of penguins huddled together to keep warm.
पेंगुइनों की colony गर्म रहने के लिए एक साथ इकट्ठी हो गई।
Troop
English Meaning: A group of primates, such as monkeys or baboons.
Hindi Meaning: Primates का एक समूह, जैसे बंदर और बबून।
Example: The troop of monkeys swung from tree to tree in the jungle.
जंगल में बंदरों का दल एक पेड़ से दूसरे पेड़ पर घूमता रहा।
Leash
English Meaning: A group of hounds.
Hindi Meaning: शिकारी कुत्तों का एक समूह।
Example: The leash of hounds tracked the scent through the forest.
शिकारी कुत्तों के पट्टे ने जंगल में गंध पर हमला किया।
Murder
English Meaning: A group of crows.
Hindi Meaning: कौवों का एक समूह।
Example: The murder of crows cawed loudly as they flew overhead.
कौवे ऊपर उड़ते हुए ज़ोर-ज़ोर से काँव-काँव करने लगे।
Sedge
English Meaning: A group of ducks.
Hindi Meaning: बत्तखों का एक समूह।
Example: The sedge of ducks paddled around the pond in the early morning light.
सुबह की रोशनी में बत्तखों की टोली तालाब के चारों ओर घूम रही थी।
Bask
English Meaning: A group of crocodiles or turtles lying in the sun.
Hindi Meaning: धूप में लेटा हुआ मगरमच्छों या कछुओं का समूह।
Example: The bask of crocodiles sunbathing on the riverbank.
नदी के किनारे धूप सेंकते मगरमच्छों का झुंड।
Skulk
English Meaning: A group of foxes.
Hindi Meaning: लोमड़ियों का एक समूह।
Example: The skulk of foxes moved stealthily through the undergrowth.
लोमड़ियों की खाल झाड़ियों के बीच से चुपचाप घूम रही थी।
Example of Collective Nouns for Objects
Here is collective nouns list for people with their meanings and examples:
Pack
English Meaning: A group of cards or animals gathered together.
Hindi Meaning: एक साथ इकट्ठा हुआ ताश के पत्तों या जानवरों का एक समूह।
Example: He shuffled a pack of cards before dealing them out.
उसने ताश के पत्तों को बाँटने से पहले एक गड्डी को फेंट लिया।
Set
English Meaning: A group of tools that are used to repair something.
Hindi Meaning: औजारों का एक समूह जिसका इस्तेमाल किसी चीज़ की मरम्मत के लिए किया जाता है।
Example: She purchased a set of tools for her home repair projects.
उसने अपने घर की मरम्मत के काम के लिए औजारों का एक set खरीदा।
Fleet
English Meaning: A group of ships, vehicles, or aircraft operating together.
Hindi Meaning: एक साथ चलने वाले जहाजों, गाड़ियों या विमानों का समूह।
Example: The navy deployed a fleet of ships for the international exercise.
उन्होंने अंतर्राष्ट्रीय अभ्यास के लिए जहाजों का एक बेड़ा तैनात किया।
Stack
English Meaning: A neatly arranged pile of books.
Hindi Meaning: किताबों का तरीके से लगा हुआ ढेर।
Example: The librarian organized a stack of books on the reading table.
Librarian ने पढ़ने की मेज़ पर किताबों का ढेर व्यवस्थित किया।
Cluster
English Meaning: A group of grapes growing together.
Hindi Meaning: अंगूरों की बेल जो एक साथ उग रही है।
Example: The farmer harvested a cluster of grapes from the vine.
किसान ने बेल से अंगूर का एक गुच्छा तोड़ लिया।
Bundle
English Meaning: A collection of newspapers tied or wrapped together.
Hindi Meaning: एक साथ बंधा या लपेटा हुआ समाचार पत्रों का संग्रह।
Example: She carried a bundle of newspapers to the recycling bin.
वह अखबारों का एक bundle recycle bin में ले गई।
Array
English Meaning: An organized display or arrangement of colours.
Hindi Meaning: रंगों का एक व्यवस्थित प्रदर्शन या व्यवस्था।
Example: The artist presented an array of colors on the canvas.
कलाकार ने कैनवास पर रंगों की शृंखला पेश की।
Ream
English Meaning: A standard quantity of paper, usually 500 sheets.
Hindi Meaning: कागज़ की एक मानक मात्रा, आमतौर पर 500 sheet.
Example: The office stocked up on a ream of paper for the printer.
Office ने printer के लिए ढेर सारे कागज जमा कर लिए।
Bunch
English Meaning: A group of flowers gathered or growing together.
Hindi Meaning: इकट्ठा या एक साथ उगने वाले फूलों का समूह।
Example: She arranged a bunch of flowers in a vase for the table.
उसने मेज़ के लिए फूलदान में फूलों का एक गुच्छा व्यवस्थित किया।
Trunk
English Meaning: A large container for storing clothes or other items.
Hindi Meaning: कपड़े या बाकी सामान रखने के लिए एक बड़ा बक्सा।
Example: They packed their belongings into a trunk for the road trip.
उन्होंने सड़क यात्रा के लिए अपना सामान एक बक्से में pack किया।
10 Collective Nouns Examples in Sentences
Here you will find a list of the collective noun example sentences in both Hindi and English.
Team
Sentence: The coach gathered the team for a strategy meeting before the big game.
कोच ने बड़े खेल से पहले एक रणनीति बैठक के लिए टीम को इकट्ठा किया।
Choir
Sentence: The choir performed beautifully at the annual concert.
वार्षिक संगीत कार्यक्रम में गायक मंडली ने सुंदर प्रदर्शन किया।
Herd
Sentence: A herd of elephants wandered through the savanna in search of water.
हाथियों का एक झुंड पानी की तलाश में सवाना में भटक रहा था।
Audience
Sentence: The audience clapped and cheered after the spectacular performance.
शानदार प्रस्तुति के बाद दर्शकों ने तालियां बजाईं और उत्साह बढ़ाया।
Flock
Sentence: A flock of birds flew overhead, heading south for the winter.
पक्षियों का एक झुंड सर्दियों के लिए दक्षिण की ओर उड़कर ऊपर की ओर उड़ गया।
Crew
Sentence: The film crew worked late into the night to finish the final scene.
अंतिम scene को पूरा करने के लिए फिल्म crew ने देर रात तक काम किया।
Swarm
Sentence: A swarm of bees surrounded the hive as they prepared for winter.
जैसे ही वे सर्दियों की तैयारी कर रहे थे, मधुमक्खियों के झुंड ने छत्ते को घेर लिया।
Drove
Sentence: The drove of cattle slowly moved through the pasture, grazing as they went.
मवेशियों का झुण्ड धीरे-धीरे चरागाह के माध्यम से चरते हुए आगे बढ़ता गया।
Cluster
Sentence: A cluster of stars twinkled brightly in the night sky.
रात को आकाश में तारों का एक समूह चमक रहा था।
Crowd
Sentence: The crowd cheered loudly as the parade passed by.
जैसे ही परेड गुज़री तो भीड़ ने ज़ोर-ज़ोर से जयकारे लगाए।
Flock
Sentence: A flock of sheep grazed peacefully in the meadow.
भेड़ों का एक झुंड घास के मैदान में शांति से चर रहा था।
Bunch
Sentence: A bunch of keys jingled in his pocket as he walked to the door.
जैसे ही वह दरवाज़े की ओर बढ़ा, उसकी जेब में चाबियों का एक गुच्छा बजने लगा।
Panel
Sentence: The panel of judges reviewed the contestants’ performances and made their decisions.
जजों के panel ने प्रतियोगियों के प्रदर्शन की समीक्षा की और अपना फैसला लिया।
Pack
Sentence: The pack of wolves moved silently through the snow-covered forest.
भेड़ियों का झुंड बर्फ से ढके जंगल में चुपचाप चला गया।
Regiment
Sentence: The regiment paraded through the city to commemorate the historical battle.
ऐतिहासिक जंग की याद में regiment ने शहर में परेड निकाली।
Try and Learn: Collective Noun Exercises
Exercise
- The __________ of students applauded the guest speaker at the assembly.
- A __________ of geese flew overhead as we walked through the park.
- The __________ of firefighters arrived quickly to put out the blaze.
- She admired the __________ of beautiful antique dolls in the display case.
- The __________ of judges was responsible for selecting the best performances.
- The __________ of musicians played a symphony at the concert hall.
- A __________ of tourists gathered around the historical monument for a photo.
- The __________ of researchers published their findings in a prominent journal.
- The __________ of cows grazed peacefully in the open field.
- He carried a __________ of documents to the meeting.
Answers
- audience
- flock
- team
- collection
- panel
- orchestra
- crowd
- group
- herd
- bundle
Collective Noun FAQs
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What is the collective noun meaning and give its example?
A collective noun is a type of noun that denotes a group of individuals or things considered as a single entity. Despite referring to multiple members, collective nouns are treated as singular in terms of verb agreement in most cases.
Example: Flock: Refers to a group of birds or sheep.
Family: Refers to a group of related individuals.
Class: Refers to a group of students learning together.
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What is the collective noun for children?
However, children itself is a collective noun, but a group of children is called a crowd.
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What is the collective noun for eggs?
The collection of eggs is called a clutch, so the collective nouns for eggs are called a clutch.
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What is the collective noun of fish?
Usually, there are two names for collective nouns for fish, one is shoal and the other is school.
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What is the difference between collective nouns and common nouns?
Collective nouns and common nouns are two different types of nouns used in English to refer to groups or individuals, but they serve different purposes:
Collective Nouns: These nouns refer to a group of individuals or things considered as a single unit. They represent a collection of members acting together as one entity. For example:
- Team (a group of players working together)
- Family (a group of related people)
- Flock (a group of birds)
Collective nouns are often used with singular verbs, though in some cases, especially in British English, they can take plural verbs if the emphasis is on the individual members of the group.
Common Nouns: These nouns refer to general items, people, or places, rather than specific ones. They do not name particular individuals or entities but rather general categories. For example: dog, city, book, etc.
Common nouns can be singular or plural and are used to refer to more than one instance of an object or concept.
While common nouns name general things, collective nouns specifically denote a group of people or objects considered as a single unit.
Conclusion
We hope this blog on collective nouns has given you a clear picture of the meaning and examples of collective nouns. Understanding collective nouns will help you cover a major aspect of English grammar and will also polish your spoken English skills. This blog will help you understand the complex concepts of grammar in the easiest way possible and will also help you become fluent in speaking English.
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