Collective nouns: The ultimate guide to group names and usage

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Have you ever noticed how a single word can capture the essence of an entire group—like a “team” of players or a “flock” of birds? These are collective nouns, a fascinating feature of the English language that allows us to bundle individuals into one tidy package.

More than just linguistic shortcuts, collective nouns shape how we communicate. In this guide, we’ll unpack what collective nouns are, how they work, and the golden rules for using them correctly in both American and British English.

At the end, find:

Fun and unique collective nouns you should know
Collective Noun Quiz

The Ultimate Guide on Nouns

Nouns are the foundation of every sentence you write. This guide explores every category and rule, providing you with the tools to identify, use, and master them with total confidence.

Quick reference: Collective noun basics

Feature	Description	Examples
Definition	A word that represents a group of people, animals, or objects.	Class, swarm, fleet
Grammar role	Usually treated as a singular unit in American English.	“The team is winning.”
Purpose	To streamline language and provide mental imagery.	“A pod of dolphins”

What are collective nouns?

Collective nouns are specific words used to identify a group of people, animals, or things as a single entity. Even though these groups consist of multiple members, the word itself functions as a singular noun in most contexts.

Group identifiers: They name a collection (e.g., a “jury”) rather than listing every individual member.
Concise communication: They prevent repetitive language by providing a “shorthand” for complex groups.

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Common examples of collective nouns

To master these nouns, it helps to categorize them by what they describe. Here are some of the most common collective nouns used in everyday English:

Collective nouns for people

Family: A group of people related by blood or law.
Committee: A body of people delegated to consider a matter.
Audience: A group of spectators or listeners.
Staff: The employees of an organization.

Collective nouns for animals

Herd: Used for large herbivores like cattle or elephants.
Flock: Common for birds and sheep.
School: Specifically used for fish.
Pride: The specific term for a group of lions.

Collective nouns for things

Fleet: A group of ships or vehicles.
Bundle: A collection of items tied or wrapped together.
Set: A collection of matching or related objects.

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Subject-verb agreement: Is it “is” or “are”?

One of the most common questions regarding collective nouns is whether to use a singular or plural verb. This depends largely on your geographic location and the context of the sentence.

American English usage

In the United States, collective nouns are almost always treated as singular. The focus is on the group acting as one unit.

Example: “The choir is performing tonight.”

British English usage

In the UK, collective nouns are often treated as plural, especially if the speaker wants to emphasize the individual members within the group.

Example: “The choir are putting on their robes.”

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Frequently asked questions about collective nouns

Yes, but “police” is unique because it is a plural collective noun. Unlike “team” or “family,” you should always use a plural verb with it (e.g., “The police are investigating”).

If the group is acting together as one, use a singular verb. If the individuals within the group are acting separately (disagreeing, moving in different directions), you can use a plural verb or add the word “members” to clarify (e.g., “The committee members are arguing”).

In a famous example of “terms of venery,” a group of crows is called a murder.

While they seem like they refer to a group, everyone and everybody are actually indefinite pronouns, not collective nouns.

The main difference lies in how they are structured:

Collective nouns (like team or family) can be made plural (teams, families).
Indefinite pronouns (like everyone) always stay in a fixed form and almost always take a singular verb.

Correct: “The team (collective noun) is gathering.” Correct: “Everyone (indefinite pronoun) is here.”

Conclusion

At their core, collective nouns are a clever linguistic tool. They simplify the way we refer to groups while offering flexibility in how we view them. From a “family” at dinner to a “swarm” of bees, these words bring efficiency and clarity to our language, bridging the gap between the individual and the collective.

More resources for mastering English nouns:

Proper nouns: Naming specific people and places.
Common nouns: General names for things.
Countable vs. uncountable nouns: How to quantify your speech.
Abstract nouns: Talking about ideas and emotions.

Appendix

Fun and unique collective nouns you should know

While terms like “group” or “bunch” work fine, the English language has a rich history of specific (and often poetic) names for groups, known as terms of venery. Adding these to your vocabulary can make your writing much more descriptive.

Rare collective nouns for animals and people

The group	The collective noun	Example in a sentence
Ferrets	A business	“A business of ferrets scurried across the floor.”
Crows	A murder	“The trees were filled with a murder of crows.”
Owls	A parliament	“A parliament of owls watched from the rafters.”
Larks	An exaltation	“We heard an exaltation of larks at dawn.”
Stingrays	A fever	“The divers spotted a fever of stingrays.”
Rhinos	A crash	“A crash of rhinos charged across the savanna.”
Flamingos	A flamboyance	“A bright flamboyance of flamingos waded in the lake.”
Lemurs	A conspiracy	“A conspiracy of lemurs leaped through the trees.”
Frogs	An army	“An army of frogs croaked in the marsh.”
Jellyfish	A smack	“Be careful of that smack of jellyfish near the shore.”
Cobras	A quiver	“A quiver of cobras is a sight to avoid.”
Apes	A shrewdness	“A shrewdness of apes moved through the canopy.”
Ravens	An unkindness	“An unkindness of ravens gathered on the fence.”
Goldfish	A troubling	“A troubling of goldfish swam in the pond.”
Cats (wild)	A destruction	“A destruction of wild cats hunted in the night.”

Why do these names exist?

Many of these unique collective nouns date back to the Middle Ages, specifically appearing in “The Book of Saint Albans” printed in 1486. They were often created by hunters and nobility to describe the characteristics or behaviors of the animals they observed—such as the “shrewdness” of apes or the “crash” of heavy rhinos.

Collective nouns: The ultimate guide to group names and usage

The Ultimate Guide on Nouns

Quick reference: Collective noun basics

What are collective nouns?