Collective Nouns Definition & Example
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What are collective nouns?
A collective noun is a word used for a group of people, animals, or things. Instead of saying “many birds,” we say a flock of birds. Instead of “many lions,” we say a pride of lions.
Simple rule: One word. One group.
Jump to the section you need: → Collective Nouns for Animals → Collective Nouns for People → Collective Nouns for Things → 50 Examples with Sentences → Quick Quiz
Table 1 — Collective Nouns for Animals (50 rows)
| Collective Noun | Animal | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Pride | Lions | A pride of lions was resting under the tree. |
| Flock | Birds | A flock of birds flew across the sky. |
| Herd | Elephants | A herd of elephants crossed the river. |
| Pack | Wolves | A pack of wolves hunted at night. |
| School | Fish | A school of fish swam near the shore. |
| Swarm | Bees | A swarm of bees buzzed around the hive. |
| Gaggle | Geese | A gaggle of geese walked across the road. |
| Murder | Crows | A murder of crows sat on the fence. |
| Pod | Dolphins | A pod of dolphins leaped out of the water. |
| Colony | Ants | A colony of ants built a huge mound. |
| Litter | Kittens | She found a litter of kittens in the barn. |
| Crash | Rhinos | A crash of rhinos charged toward the water. |
| Tower | Giraffes | A tower of giraffes walked slowly across the plains. |
| Troop | Monkeys | A troop of monkeys swung through the trees. |
| Parliament | Owls | A parliament of owls watched silently. |
| Army | Ants | An army of ants marched across the floor. |
| Band | Gorillas | A band of gorillas sat quietly in the jungle. |
| Bloat | Hippos | A bloat of hippos floated in the muddy river. |
| Brood | Chicks | A brood of chicks followed the hen closely. |
| Clowder | Cats | A clowder of cats sat on the rooftop. |
| Flamboyance | Flamingos | A flamboyance of flamingos stood by the lake. |
| Raft | Otters | A raft of otters floated together on their backs. |
| Prickle | Porcupines | A prickle of porcupines moved through the brush. |
| Leap | Leopards | A leap of leopards rested on a high rock. |
| Shiver | Sharks | A shiver of sharks circled the boat. |
| Skulk | Foxes | A skulk of foxes crept toward the farm. |
| Dazzle | Zebras | A dazzle of zebras galloped across the savannah. |
| Mischief | Rats | A mischief of rats scattered when the light turned on. |
| Shrewdness | Apes | A shrewdness of apes watched from the trees. |
| Ambush | Tigers | An ambush of tigers waited silently in the grass. |
| Cackle | Hyenas | A cackle of hyenas laughed in the distance. |
| Float | Crocodiles | A float of crocodiles rested in the sun. |
| Flange | Baboons | A flange of baboons crossed the rocky path. |
| Mob | Kangaroos | A mob of kangaroos hopped across the field. |
| Drove | Cattle | A drove of cattle moved down the dusty road. |
| Bunch | Rabbits | A bunch of rabbits huddled near the burrow. |
| Team | Horses | A team of horses pulled the heavy carriage. |
| Clutch | Eggs | A clutch of eggs sat in the warm nest. |
| Flock | Sheep | A flock of sheep grazed peacefully in the field. |
| Herd | Deer | A herd of deer crossed the forest path. |
| Band | Coyotes | A band of coyotes howled in the night. |
| Pounce | Cats | A pounce of cats watched the garden silently. |
| Sloth | Bears | A sloth of bears rested near the stream. |
| Horde | Hamsters | A horde of hamsters filled the cage. |
| Colony | Bats | A colony of bats hung from the cave ceiling. |
| Parliament | Rooks | A parliament of rooks perched on the branches. |
| Warren | Rabbits | A warren of rabbits lived under the hill. |
| Kettle | Hawks | A kettle of hawks spiraled high in the sky. |
| Bevy | Swans | A bevy of swans glided across the still lake. |
Table 2 — Collective Nouns for People (40 rows)
| Collective Noun | Group | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Team | Players | The team of players won the championship. |
| Crew | Workers | The crew of workers finished the project. |
| Class | Students | The class of students listened carefully. |
| Audience | Viewers | The audience of viewers clapped loudly. |
| Panel | Judges | A panel of judges reviewed the entries. |
| Board | Directors | The board of directors approved the plan. |
| Staff | Employees | The staff of employees worked overtime. |
| Army | Soldiers | An army of soldiers marched through the town. |
| Choir | Singers | The choir of singers performed beautifully. |
| Committee | Members | The committee of members voted unanimously. |
| Crowd | People | A crowd of people gathered outside the hall. |
| Gang | Thieves | A gang of thieves was arrested last night. |
| Troupe | Actors | A troupe of actors rehearsed the play. |
| Band | Musicians | A band of musicians played at the event. |
| Faculty | Teachers | The faculty of teachers met on Monday. |
| Jury | Jurors | The jury of jurors returned a verdict. |
| Cabinet | Ministers | The cabinet of ministers discussed the budget. |
| Squad | Officers | A squad of officers arrived at the scene. |
| Congregation | Worshippers | A congregation of worshippers filled the hall. |
| Fleet | Sailors | A fleet of sailors set out to sea. |
| Mob | Rioters | A mob of rioters broke through the barriers. |
| Posse | Deputies | A posse of deputies chased the criminal. |
| Platoon | Soldiers | A platoon of soldiers marched in formation. |
| Tribe | People | A tribe of people lived near the river. |
| Council | Leaders | The council of leaders passed the new law. |
| Company | Actors | A company of actors toured across the country. |
| Band | Brothers | A band of brothers fought together. |
| League | Gentlemen | A league of gentlemen formed the society. |
| Pack | Reporters | A pack of reporters waited outside. |
| Crew | Astronauts | A crew of astronauts launched into space. |
| Bunch | Friends | A bunch of friends went to the movie. |
| Group | Tourists | A group of tourists visited the monument. |
| Party | Travellers | A party of travellers arrived at the inn. |
| Cluster | Scientists | A cluster of scientists presented their findings. |
| Team | Doctors | A team of doctors performed the surgery. |
| Force | Policemen | A force of policemen guarded the entrance. |
| Gang | Labourers | A gang of labourers dug the foundation. |
| Body | Experts | A body of experts reviewed the proposal. |
| Band | Pilgrims | A band of pilgrims walked to the temple. |
| Crew | Pirates | A crew of pirates sailed the dark sea. |
Table 3 — Collective Nouns for Things (30 rows)
| Collective Noun | Thing | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Bunch | Bananas | She bought a bunch of bananas from the market. |
| Bouquet | Flowers | He gave her a bouquet of flowers on her birthday. |
| Fleet | Ships | A fleet of ships sailed into the harbour. |
| Set | Tools | He bought a set of tools from the store. |
| Bundle | Sticks | A bundle of sticks was tied with rope. |
| Pile | Books | A pile of books sat on the desk. |
| Stack | Papers | A stack of papers was waiting to be signed. |
| Collection | Stamps | He has a large collection of stamps. |
| Range | Mountains | A range of mountains blocked the horizon. |
| Cluster | Stars | A cluster of stars lit up the night sky. |
| Chest | Drawers | She opened the chest of drawers carefully. |
| Suite | Furniture | They ordered a new suite of furniture. |
| Batch | Cookies | She baked a fresh batch of cookies. |
| Deck | Cards | He shuffled the deck of cards quickly. |
| String | Pearls | A string of pearls was around her neck. |
| Wad | Notes | He pulled out a wad of notes from his pocket. |
| Bar | Chocolate | She broke off a piece from the bar of chocolate. |
| Bowl | Rice | She served a bowl of rice to each guest. |
| Block | Flats | A new block of flats was built near the station. |
| Flight | Stairs | She climbed the flight of stairs quickly. |
| Chain | Islands | A chain of islands stretched across the ocean. |
| Heap | Rubbish | A heap of rubbish was piled outside the gate. |
| Library | Books | The library of books was donated to the school. |
| Portfolio | Investments | His portfolio of investments grew this year. |
| Crate | Bottles | A crate of bottles was delivered to the shop. |
| Grove | Trees | A grove of trees shaded the path. |
| Pad | Paper | He picked up the pad of paper and started writing. |
| Clutch | Pencils | She handed out a clutch of pencils to the students. |
| Reel | Films | A reel of films was stored in the archive. |
| Arsenal | Weapons | An arsenal of weapons was discovered in the warehouse. |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a collective noun?
A collective noun is a word that names a group of people, animals, or things as one unit. Examples: a flock of birds, a team of players, a bunch of bananas.
: What are 10 examples of collective nouns?
: 1. A pride of lions 2. A flock of birds 3. A herd of elephants 4. A pack of wolves 5. A school of fish 6. A bunch of bananas 7. A team of players 8. A choir of singers 9. A fleet of ships 10. A bouquet of flowers.
What is the collective noun for lions?
The collective noun for lions is a pride. Example: A pride of lions rested in the afternoon sun.
What is the collective noun for fish?
The collective noun for fish is a school or a shoal. Example: A school of fish swam near the coral reef.
What is the collective noun for bees?
The collective noun for bees is a swarm. Example: A swarm of bees surrounded the beehive.
