What Are Collective Nouns? (with Examples)

A collective noun is the word used to represent a group of people, animals, or things.

Examples of Collective Nouns

Here are some examples of collective nouns:

Flock
Crowd
Committee
Choir
Group
Team

Click on the Two Collective Nouns

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There are lots of collective nouns. Below are some examples of the most common ones.

Common Collective Nouns Used for People

Here are some examples of common collective nouns used for people:

A band of musicians
A board of directors
A choir of singers
A class of students
A crowd of people
A gang of thieves
A pack of thieves
A panel of experts
A team of players
A troupe of dancers

Common Collective Nouns Used for Animals

Here are some examples of common collective nouns used for animals:

An army of ants
A flock of birds
A flock of sheep
A herd of deer
A hive of bees
A litter of puppies
A murder of crows
A pack of hounds
A pack of wolves
A school of fish
A swarm of locusts
A team of horses
A pride of lions

Common Collective Nouns Used for Things

Here are some examples of common collective nouns used for things:

A bouquet of flowers
A bunch of flowers
A fleet of ships
A forest of trees
A galaxy of stars
A pack of cards
A pack of lies
A pair of shoes
A range of mountains
A wad of notes

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Terms of Venery

Words used to describe a specific group of things (usually animals) are called terms of venery. They are also collective nouns. Examples:

colony of ants
hive of bees
school of dolphins
parliament of owls
cloud of bats
mob of kangaroos

Using the Wrong Collective Noun: A Useful Literary Technique

Some collective nouns are quite versatile. For example, you can say:

a pack of cards.
a pack of thieves
a pack of wolves

The most versatile collective noun is group. It can be used with lots of things. However, most collective nouns cannot be shared. For example, you shouldn't say:

a bouquet of wolves
a swarm of lions
a litter of ships

However, deliberately using the wrong collective noun could present a useful connotation. For example:

a pack of ships
a forest of soldiers

Therefore, using the "wrong" collective noun can be a useful technique in creative writing.

Related Pages

What Are Collective Nouns? (with Examples)