collector

noun

col·​lec·​tor kə-ˈlek-tər How to pronounce collector (audio)
Synonyms of collectornext
: one that collects: such as
a
: an official who collects funds or monies
b
: a person who makes a collection
stamp collector
c
: an object or device that collects
the statuette was a dust collector
d
: solar collector
collectorship
kə-ˈlek-tər-ˌship How to pronounce collector (audio)
noun

Examples of collector in a Sentence

He is an avid stamp collector. The painting was purchased by a private collector. The trash collectors came early today.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Just 15 Hand-Engraved Razorbills Will Exist Beyond the production models, Titaner has also taken Razorbill into collector territory. — New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026 His front row was the stuff of fashion mythology, the kind of group that could only be summoned by a muse collector of Ackermann’s caliber. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026 Visible from outside the museum as much as from within, it was commissioned in 1952 by collectors and LACMA benefactors Sidney and Frances Brody for their midcentury home in LA’s Holmby Hills neighborhood. — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 The collectors’ children lent it to the Stedelijk Museum for safekeeping before fleeing the Netherlands ahead of the Nazi occupation. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for collector

Word History

Etymology

Middle English collectour, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin collēctōr-, collēctor, from colleg-, variant stem of colligere "to gather together, assemble, accumulate" + -tōr-, -tor, agent suffix — more at collect entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of collector was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing collector

Rhymes for collector

See All Rhymes for collector

Browse Nearby Words

collect on delivery
collector
collector's item
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Collector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collector. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

collector

noun
col·​lec·​tor kə-ˈlek-tər How to pronounce collector (audio)
1
: a person whose job is to collect money due
tax collector
bill collector
2
: one that makes a collection
stamp collector
3
: an object or device that collects
the ornament was just a dust collector

More from Merriam-Webster on collector

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for collector

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