collaborate
verb
col·lab·o·rate
kə-ˈla-bə-ˌrāt 
collaborated; collaborating
1
: to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor
An international team of scientists collaborated on the study.
2
: to cooperate with or willingly assist an enemy of one's country and especially an occupying force
suspected of collaborating with the enemy
3
: to cooperate with an agency or instrumentality with which one is not immediately connected
The two schools collaborate on library services.
Did you know?
The Latin prefix com-, meaning "with, together, or jointly," is a bit of a chameleon—it has a tricky habit of changing its appearance depending on what it's next to. If the word it precedes begins with l, com- becomes col- (as in colleague, collect, and collide). In the case of collaborate, com- teamed up with laborare ("to labor") to form Late Latin collaborare ("to labor together").
Synonyms
Examples of collaborate in a Sentence
The two companies agreed to collaborate.
He was suspected of collaborating with the occupying army.
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead of focusing on what could divide North Korea from China, the United States should collaborate with the Chinese government to rein in North Korea’s volatile behavior.
—
Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
Chua’s priorities include strengthening the city’s fire and police department and collaborating with community members and developers to make more affordable housing.
—Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Social Impact World offers social impact professionals a space to connect, share resources, and collaborate, breaking the isolation many face in their roles.
—Afdhel Aziz, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Most recently, Swanson collaborated with the Pineloft Entertainment duo on the jazz film, Betty & Blue, starring Keith David, which screened at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival this past summer.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for collaborate 
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Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
Chua’s priorities include strengthening the city’s fire and police department and collaborating with community members and developers to make more affordable housing.
—Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Social Impact World offers social impact professionals a space to connect, share resources, and collaborate, breaking the isolation many face in their roles.
—Afdhel Aziz, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Most recently, Swanson collaborated with the Pineloft Entertainment duo on the jazz film, Betty & Blue, starring Keith David, which screened at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival this past summer.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for collaborate
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Cite this Entry
“Collaborate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collaborate. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
collaborate
verb
col·lab·o·rate
kə-ˈlab-ə-ˌrāt
collaborated; collaborating
1
: to work with others (as in writing a book)
2
: to cooperate with an enemy force that has taken over one's country
collaborationist
noun
-sh(ə-)nəst
Legal Definition
collaborate
intransitive verb
col·lab·o·rate
kə-ˈla-bə-ˌrāt
collaborated; collaborating
: to work jointly with others in some endeavor
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