200 Collective Nouns Definition and Example

Collective nouns refer to words that represent a group of people, animals, or things considered as a single unit. For example, a “team” of players or a “flock” of birds. These nouns help us refer to multiple entities without needing to list them all. 

They make language more efficient and interesting by grouping things together. Collective nouns can be used for animals, people, and objects in various contexts. Understanding them is helpful for clear and concise communication, whether in everyday conversation or writing.

Collective Nouns Definition and Example

A collective noun is a word that refers to a group of individuals or things considered as a single unit. For example, “family” refers to a group of related people, and “herd” refers to a group of animals. Collective nouns help simplify language by grouping similar items or beings together without needing to list them all individually. 

They are commonly used in both spoken and written language to make communication more efficient. Other examples include “team,” “flock,” and “class.”

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List of  Collective Nouns:

A list of 200 collective nouns:

1. A band of musicians
   
2. A pack of wolves
   
3. A swarm of bees
   
4. A flock of birds
   
5. A school of fish
   
6. A pride of lions
   
7. A herd of cattle
   
8. A colony of ants
   
9. A troop of monkeys
   
10. A pod of dolphins
    
11. A litter of puppies
    
12. A gaggle of geese
    
13. A class of students
    
14. A bunch of grapes
    
15. A bouquet of flowers
    
16. A fleet of ships
    
17. A team of horses
    
18. A congregation of worshippers
    
19. A troop of scouts
    
20. A squadron of airplanes
    
21. A cluster of stars
    
22. A parliament of owls
    
23. A hive of bees
    
24. A stack of books
    
25. A deck of cards
    
26. A set of tools
    
27. A collection of coins
    
28. A bundle of sticks
    
29. A bunch of keys
    
30. A set of furniture
    
31. A cabinet of curiosities
    
32. A group of islands
    
33. A series of events
    
34. A chain of mountains
    
35. A row of chairs
    
36. A batch of cookies
    
37. A pile of dirt
    
38. A pool of water
    
39. A crew of workers
    
40. A choir of singers
    
41. A fleet of cars
    
42. A herd of sheep
    
43. A swarm of mosquitoes
    
44. A troop of dancers
    
45. A cluster of houses
    
46. A group of people
    
47. A crew of sailors
    
48. A pack of cards
    
49. A pod of whales
    
50. A convoy of trucks
    
51. A brood of chicks
    
52. A team of footballers
    
53. A flock of sheep
    
54. A pride of tigers
    
55. A team of scientists
    
56. A troupe of actors
    
57. A bunch of bananas
    
58. A colony of penguins
    
59. A herd of elephants
    
60. A crowd of onlookers
    
61. A cluster of buildings
    
62. A set of wheels
    
63. A pair of shoes
    
64. A constellation of stars
    
65. A range of mountains
    
66. A bank of clouds
    
67. A crew of astronauts
    
68. A colony of bats
    
69. A huddle of penguins
    
70. A pack of dogs
    
71. A class of teachers
    
72. A bank of rivers
    
73. A bale of hay
    
74. A gaggle of geese
    
75. A swarm of flies
    
76. A stack of plates
    
77. A brigade of soldiers
    
78. A host of angels
    
79. A cluster of grapes
    
80. A group of tourists
    
81. A bevy of swans
    
82. A pack of cards
    
83. A unit of soldiers
    
84. A group of musicians
    
85. A troupe of comedians
    
86. A squad of police officers
    
87. A pile of laundry
    
88. A nest of spiders
    
89. A bunch of flowers
    
90. A pocket of change
    
91. A school of whales
    
92. A bench of judges
    
93. A team of rivals
    
94. A library of books
    
95. A set of dishes
    
96. A fleet of buses
    
97. A group of friends
    
98. A party of people
    
99. A flock of ducks
    
100. A crash of rhinos
     
101. A band of thieves
     
102. A colony of termites
     
103. A patch of grass
     
104. A set of cutlery
     
105. A group of trees
     
106. A gang of criminals
     
107. A pride of leopards
     
108. A bench of lawyers
     
109. A party of performers
     
110. A pack of lions
     
111. A pack of wolves
     
112. A litter of kittens
     
113. A class of learners
     
114. A stack of chairs
     
115. A string of pearls
     
116. A flotilla of boats
     
117. A gaggle of geese
     
118. A team of horses
     
119. A troop of clowns
     
120. A band of gypsies
     
121. A patch of flowers
     
122. A galaxy of stars
     
123. A school of dolphins
     
124. A group of friends
     
125. A colony of rabbits
     
126. A set of drawers
     
127. A string of lights
     
128. A pack of wolves
     
129. A flight of steps
     
130. A team of rivals
     
131. A group of musicians
     
132. A herd of deer
     
133. A parliament of rooks
     
134. A bouquet of roses
     
135. A group of men
     
136. A pair of sunglasses
     
137. A roll of thunder
     
138. A herd of goats
     
139. A flock of chickens
     
140. A group of students
     
141. A team of doctors
     
142. A swarm of locusts
     
143. A cloud of smoke
     
144. A fleet of taxis
     
145. A coven of witches
     
146. A group of children
     
147. A crash of rhinos
     
148. A series of movies
     
149. A team of players
     
150. A bunch of keys
     
151. A school of fish
     
152. A pile of sand
     
153. A bundle of hay
     
154. A group of cows
     
155. A cluster of islands
     
156. A set of chess pieces
     
157. A pool of jellyfish
     
158. A patch of earth
     
159. A squad of soldiers
     
160. A string of sausages
     
161. A clump of trees
     
162. A flock of geese
     
163. A pack of wolves
     
164. A patch of earth
     
165. A galaxy of stars
     
166. A team of players
     
167. A string of pearls
     
168. A fleet of boats
     
169. A troop of monkeys
     
170. A choir of singers
     
171. A bunch of bananas
     
172. A pod of seals
     
173. A bank of fog
     
174. A litter of hamsters
     
175. A colony of frogs
     
176. A batch of muffins
     
177. A bench of bishops
     
178. A crew of construction workers
     
179. A cloud of dust
     
180. A herd of bison
     
181. A band of pirates
     
182. A pod of jellyfish
     
183. A pack of wolves
     
184. A crew of officers
     
185. A set of pens
     
186. A couple of friends
     
187. A clowder of cats
     
188. A team of athletes
     
189. A set of markers
     
190. A bunch of balloons
     
191. A bundle of cloth
     
192. A colony of lizards
     
193. A class of actors
     
194. A troop of soldiers
     
195. A deck of cards
     
196. A herd of goats
     
197. A cluster of stars
     
198. A pack of cards
     
199. A series of books
     
200. A class of students
     

These are 200 collective nouns you can use in everyday language to describe various groups of people, animals, or things!

100 examples of collective nouns with sentences

100 examples of collective nouns with sentences for each:

1. A team of athletes
   
   • The team of athletes trained hard for the championship.
     
2. A flock of birds
   
   • A flock of birds flew across the sky at sunset.
     
3. A pride of lions
   
   • The pride of lions rested under the shade of a tree.
     
4. A pack of wolves
   
   • The pack of wolves howled as the moon rose.
     
5. A school of fish
   
   • The diver swam through a school of fish near the coral reef.
     
6. A colony of ants
   
   • The colony of ants marched in a straight line across the ground.
     
7. A swarm of bees
   
   • A swarm of bees surrounded the blooming flowers.
     
8. A herd of elephants
   
   • The herd of elephants trudged through the savanna.
     
9. A troop of monkeys
   
   • The troop of monkeys swung from tree to tree in the jungle.
     
10. A gaggle of geese
    
    • A gaggle of geese gathered by the lake to rest.
      
11. A bunch of grapes
    
    • I picked a bunch of grapes from the vine in the garden.
      
12. A fleet of ships
    
    • A fleet of ships sailed across the ocean on a clear day.
      
13. A class of students
    
    • The class of students eagerly raised their hands during the lesson.
      
14. A bouquet of flowers
    
    • She received a beautiful bouquet of flowers for her birthday.
      
15. A stack of books
    
    • He piled a stack of books on the desk to study for his exams.
      
16. A group of friends
    
    • A group of friends met at the café to catch up on life.
      
17. A bunch of bananas
    
    • I bought a fresh bunch of bananas from the market.
      
18. A pod of dolphins
    
    • A pod of dolphins leaped joyfully in the ocean waves.
      
19. A colony of penguins
    
    • The colony of penguins huddled together for warmth on the icy shore.
      
20. A band of musicians
    
    • The band of musicians played a lively tune at the concert.
      
21. A crew of sailors
    
    • The crew of sailors worked together to navigate the ship through the storm.
      
22. A set of tools
    
    • He used a set of tools to fix the broken bike.
      
23. A choir of singers
    
    • The choir of singers performed a beautiful melody at the concert.
      
24. A pack of cards
    
    • We played a game of poker with a pack of cards.
      
25. A collection of coins
    
    • He proudly showed me his collection of coins from around the world.
      
26. A batch of cookies
    
    • She baked a batch of cookies for the school fundraiser.
      
27. A bunch of keys
    
    • I lost my bunch of keys on the way home.
      
28. A deck of cards
    
    • They shuffled the deck of cards and dealt a new hand.
      
29. A herd of cattle
    
    • The herd of cattle grazed peacefully in the field.
      
30. A library of books
    
    • The library of books was full of exciting new releases.
      
31. A crowd of people
    
    • A crowd of people gathered to watch the parade.
      
32. A group of islands
    
    • We sailed around a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean.
      
33. A pod of whales
    
    • A pod of whales was spotted off the coast during our trip.
      
34. A flock of sheep
    
    • The flock of sheep grazed in the meadow by the farmhouse.
      
35. A troupe of dancers
    
    • The troupe of dancers performed an elegant ballet.
      
36. A set of furniture
    
    • I bought a new set of furniture for the living room.
      
37. A batch of muffins
    
    • She baked a batch of muffins for the morning breakfast.
      
38. A gang of criminals
    
    • The police arrested a gang of criminals who were involved in the robbery.
      
39. A cluster of stars
    
    • The telescope allowed us to observe a cluster of stars in the night sky.
      
40. A bevy of swans
    
    • A bevy of swans glided gracefully across the lake.
      
41. A band of thieves
    
    • The band of thieves was caught by the police after a long chase.
      
42. A set of china
    
    • She carefully unpacked her antique set of china.
      
43. A herd of deer
    
    • A herd of deer wandered quietly through the forest.
      
44. A team of horses
    
    • The team of horses pulled the carriage down the road.
      
45. A chain of mountains
    
    • We hiked through a chain of mountains during our vacation.
      
46. A pack of wolves
    
    • A pack of wolves was heard howling under the full moon.
      
47. A troop of scouts
    
    • The troop of scouts helped clean up the park during their community service day.
      
48. A flight of stairs
    
    • I tripped on the flight of stairs while rushing to class.
      
49. A series of events
    
    • The series of events led to the grand opening of the new store.
      
50. A class of actors
    
    • The class of actors performed their final rehearsal before the big show.
      
51. A group of people
    
    • A group of people gathered at the park for the outdoor concert.
      
52. A family of four
    
    • The family of four went on a road trip across the country.
      
53. A row of houses
    
    • The row of houses along the street were beautifully decorated for the holidays.
      
54. A bundle of sticks
    
    • He carried a bundle of sticks to the campsite for the fire.
      
55. A herd of buffalo
    
    • A herd of buffalo roamed freely across the plains.
      
56. A class of teachers
    
    • The class of teachers attended a conference on educational methods.
      
57. A bunch of flowers
    
    • She handed me a bunch of flowers as a gesture of kindness.
      
58. A colony of butterflies
    
    • The colony of butterflies fluttered gently in the garden.
      
59. A crew of workers
    
    • The crew of workers completed the building project ahead of schedule.
      
60. A school of whales
    
    • We watched as a school of whales breached the surface of the water.
      
61. A flock of chickens
    
    • The flock of chickens clucked noisily around the barnyard.
      
62. A bench of judges
    
    • The bench of judges deliberated over the court case for hours.
      
63. A flight of birds
    
    • A flight of birds flew overhead as we walked through the park.
      
64. A pile of leaves
    
    • The children jumped into the pile of leaves after raking the yard.
      
65. A pack of dogs
    
    • The pack of dogs barked excitedly as they ran through the park.
      
66. A couple of friends
    
    • A couple of friends went out for coffee after the meeting.
      
67. A team of doctors
    
    • The team of doctors worked together to perform the surgery.
      
68. A troupe of clowns
    
    • The troupe of clowns entertained the crowd with their hilarious antics.
      
69. A group of strangers
    
    • A group of strangers stood waiting at the bus stop.
      
70. A series of books
    
    • I’ve read the entire series of books about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
      
71. A stack of paper
    
    • I have a stack of paper to sort through for my presentation.
      
72. A convoy of trucks
    
    • A convoy of trucks passed through the highway, transporting goods.
      
73. A pair of shoes
    
    • I need to buy a new pair of shoes for the wedding.
      
74. A set of instructions
    
    • He followed the set of instructions carefully to assemble the furniture.
      
75. A flock of seagulls
    
    • A flock of seagulls swooped down to catch crumbs by the beach.
      
76. A pack of wolves
    
    • The pack of wolves trekked through the snow, hunting for food.
      
77. A bunch of friends
    
    • A bunch of friends met at the movie theater to catch the latest film.
      
78. A squad of soldiers
    
    • The squad of soldiers marched in formation during the ceremony.
      
79. A gang of thieves
    
    • The police apprehended the gang of thieves after a high-speed chase.
      
80. A pair of scissors
    
    • I couldn’t find my pair of scissors to cut the ribbon.
      
81. A team of horses
    
    • A team of horses pulled the heavy wagon across the field.
      
82. A bouquet of roses
    
    • He gave her a bouquet of roses to celebrate their anniversary.
      
83. A troop of clowns
    
    • The troop of clowns made everyone laugh during the circus performance.
      
84. A class of students
    
    • The class of students raised their hands to answer the teacher’s question.
      
85. A bunch of flowers
    
    • She received a bunch of flowers as a gift for her graduation.
      
86. A team of engineers
    
    • The **team of engineers
      

** designed the new building structure.

87. A bank of clouds
    
    • A bank of clouds covered the sky, signaling an incoming storm.
      
88. A pack of wolves
    
    • The pack of wolves was spotted near the mountain range.
      
89. A band of musicians
    
    • The band of musicians played lively tunes at the festival.
      
90. A pod of seals
    
    • The pod of seals sunbathed on the rocks by the shore.
      
91. A group of tourists
    
    • A group of tourists toured the famous historical landmarks.
      
92. A crew of astronauts
    
    • The crew of astronauts prepared for their mission to space.
      
93. A line of cars
    
    • There was a long line of cars waiting to get through the toll booth.
      
94. A colony of bats
    
    • The colony of bats flew out of the cave at dusk.
      
95. A flock of pigeons
    
    • A flock of pigeons took flight as the crowd approached.
      
96. A bundle of joy
    
    • The parents were excited to welcome their bundle of joy into the world.
      
97. A pair of twins
    
    • The pair of twins dressed alike for their birthday party.
      
98. A collection of stamps
    
    • He proudly displayed his collection of stamps in a glass case.
      
99. A pod of dolphins
    
    • A pod of dolphins swam alongside our boat during the tour.
      
100. A pride of tigers
     – A pride of tigers roared loudly from their enclosure at the zoo.
     

These examples demonstrate how collective nouns are used to refer to a group of similar items or beings!

FAQs

What is a collective noun?

A collective noun is a word that represents a group of individuals or things considered as a single unit. For example, “flock” refers to a group of birds, and “team” refers to a group of players.

Can collective nouns be both singular and plural?

Yes, collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on the context. When referring to the group as a whole, it is usually singular. But if the individual members of the group are emphasized, it can be plural.

Are there any exceptions to collective nouns?

Some collective nouns may appear in plural form but still refer to a group as a whole. For example, “family” can be treated as singular or plural depending on how it is used in a sentence.

Can a collective noun be used for people, animals, and things?

Yes, collective nouns can be used for people, animals, and things. For example, “class” refers to a group of people, “herd” refers to a group of animals, and “bunch” refers to things like bananas.

Are collective nouns only used in formal writing?

No, collective nouns are used in both formal and informal writing. They help simplify language by referring to groups in a more efficient way, whether you’re writing a story, an email, or an academic paper.

Do collective nouns change in different languages?

Yes, collective nouns can vary across languages. Some languages may have specific rules about how to treat collective nouns, and their use might be different in terms of number or gender.

Can collective nouns be used in everyday conversation?

Yes, collective nouns are commonly used in everyday conversations. They help convey the idea of a group efficiently, such as saying “a team of players” or “a bunch of friends.”

Can a collective noun refer to a single item?

While collective nouns generally refer to a group, they can also be used to describe a single item made up of multiple parts. For instance, “bunch” can refer to a single group of grapes.

Do collective nouns always require a plural verb?

Not always. Collective nouns take a singular verb when the group is seen as one unit (e.g., “The team is winning”). However, they take a plural verb when focusing on individual members of the group (e.g., “The team are arguing amongst themselves”).

How do you know when to use a collective noun?

Use collective nouns when referring to groups of people, animals, or things. Consider whether you are talking about the group as a whole or the individual members to decide whether to use a singular or plural verb.

Conclusion

Collective nouns are words used to describe groups of people, animals, or things. They simplify language by referring to multiple entities as a single unit. For instance, we use “flock” for a group of birds or “team” for a group of players.

These nouns are commonly used in both formal and informal settings. They help convey ideas clearly and efficiently, whether in stories, conversations, or academic texts. Understanding collective nouns is essential for effective communication.