What Is a Collective Noun?
A collective noun is a naming word used to refer to a group or number of animals, people or things. Words like group, herd, and array are collective noun examples. Here, we’ll take a closer look at collective nouns, and provide even more examples, placing them in context so you can gain a greater understanding of how they work.
Collective nouns are most commonly treated as singular (i.e., used with singular verb forms like “is”), but usage varies between US and UK English:
- In US English, it’s standard to always treat collective nouns as singular.
- In UK English, either way is acceptable, and usage tends to vary depending on the context.