done or shared by all members of a group of people; involving a whole group or society 集体的；共有的；共同的 collective leadership/decision-making/responsibility 集体领导／决策；共同责任 collective memory (= things that a group of people or a community know or remember, that are often passed from parents to children) 集体记忆
Extra ExamplesTopics Discussion and agreementc1, People in societyc1It was formed as a permanent association of employers to represent their collective interests. 它是作为代表雇主集体利益的永久性协会成立的。 MPs heaved a collective sigh of relief when the news was announced last night. 昨晚消息发布时，下院议员一起如释重负地松了口气。 The austerities of wartime Europe were still fresh in the collective memory. 战时欧洲的艰苦生活在公众的集体记忆中仍然鲜活。 There has to be a balance between individual choice and collective responsibility. 个人选择和集体责任之间必须有一个平衡。 We encourage collective decision-making about patient care, involving medical staff, the patient and family. 我们鼓励关于病人护理的集体决策，涉及医务人员、病人和家庭。
used to refer to all members of a group 全体成员的；总体的
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘representing many individuals’): from Old French collectif, -ive or Latin collectivus, from collect- ‘gathered together’, from the verb colligere, from col- ‘together’ + legere ‘choose or collect’.