Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Collection has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
several things grouped together or considered as a whole
"She carefully arranged her entire collection of vintage stamps on the table for me to admire."
a publication containing a variety of works
"The university library recently added a new collection of short stories by emerging authors to its archives."
request for a sum of money
"an appeal to raise money for starving children"
the act of gathering something together
"The charity relies on volunteers to organize the massive collection of canned goods before the holiday rush ends."
A set of items or amount of material procured or gathered together.
"After months of visiting local thrift stores, she finally assembled a remarkable collection of vintage postcards from the 1920s."
In plain English: A collection is a group of similar items that someone has gathered together over time.
"She put her old stamps in a special collection box."
Usage: Use "collection" to refer to a group of similar items gathered together, such as a museum exhibit or a set of stamps. It describes the act of gathering or the resulting assemblage rather than the process itself.
The word "collection" entered English via Middle English and Old French from the Latin collēctiō, which literally means "a gathering together." It is formed by combining elements meaning "with" and "to gather," reflecting its original sense of bringing things into a single group.