100 Collective Nouns with Examples

In English, nouns are the foundation of our language, helping us identify people, places, things, or ideas. Among the various types of nouns, collective nouns are particularly interesting because they refer to groups of people, animals, or things as a single unit. Understanding collective nouns is essential, as it can help you describe groups more precisely and effectively in English.

2. What is a Collective Noun?

A collective noun is a type of noun that represents a group of individuals or things as a single entity. For instance, words like “team,” “family,” and “flock” are collective nouns because they represent multiple people, animals, or items grouped together under one term.

3. Definition of Collective Nouns

A collective noun is a noun that denotes a collection or group of people, animals, or things considered as a single unit. Collective nouns can be tricky for new learners, as the noun is singular in form but can represent multiple members within the group.

4. 100 Examples of Collective Nouns

1. Audience
2. Band
3. Bouquet
4. Bunch
5. Class
6. Crew
7. Flock
8. Group
9. Herd
10. Pack
11. Team
12. Family
13. Panel
14. Jury
15. Staff
16. Committee
17. Choir
18. Company
19. Orchestra
20. Council
21. Faculty
22. Board
23. Squad
24. Army
25. Regiment
26. Battalion
27. Platoon
28. Convoy
29. Cast
30. Cluster
31. Troop
32. Mob
33. Colony
34. Litter
35. Pod
36. Gaggle
37. Shoal
38. Swarm
39. Murder
40. Parliament
41. Pride
42. School
43. Flight
44. Troop
45. Fleet
46. Cartload
47. Brigade
48. Assembly
49. Galaxy
50. Pack (of wolves)
51. Clutch
52. Bevy
53. Tribe
54. Drove
55. Host
56. Posse
57. Sleigh (of bears)
58. Hive
59. Nest
60. Ring
61. Faculty
62. Patrol
63. Gang
64. Patrol
65. Set
66. String
67. League
68. Division
69. Flight (of stairs)
70. Pile
71. Batch
72. Library (of books)
73. Range
74. Chain
75. Heap
76. Series
77. Stack
78. Pair
79. Collection
80. Suite
81. Bundle
82. Clowder (of cats)
83. Skulk (of foxes)
84. Plague (of insects)
85. Sloth (of bears)
86. Troop (of scouts)
87. Knot (of toads)
88. Host (of angels)
89. Drift (of pigs)
90. Muster (of peacocks)
91. Brood (of chicks)
92. Bale (of turtles)
93. Barrage (of complaints)
94. Circus (of performers)
95. Troop (of baboons)
96. Skein (of geese in flight)
97. Swarm (of bees)
98. Paddling (of ducks)
99. Bed (of oysters)
100. Peal (of bells)

5. Differences Between Proper, Common, and Collective Nouns

In English, nouns can be categorized as proper, common, or collective nouns:

• Proper Nouns: Refer to specific names of people, places, or organizations and always start with a capital letter (e.g., London, Sarah).
• Common Nouns: General terms that do not refer to anything specific and are not capitalized (e.g., city, woman, company).
• Collective Nouns: Refer to a group or collection of individuals, animals, or things as a single entity (e.g., family, team, herd).

 A chart showing examples of proper, common, and collective nouns for comparison:

 

 

Proper Noun	Common Noun	Collective Noun
America	country	nation
Amazon	river	fleet
New York	city	crowd
Shakespeare	writer	team
Google	company	board
Paris	capital	choir
Pacific Ocean	ocean	swarm
Microsoft	business	band
Mona Lisa	painting	gallery
Eiffel Tower	landmark	congregation
The Beatles	band	orchestra
Harvard	university	faculty
Nike	brand	crew
Earth	planet	colony
Asia	continent	tribe
J.K. Rowling	author	committee
Himalayas	mountains	cluster
Vatican City	city-state	flock
McDonald’s	restaurant	group
Mount Everest	mountain	league
Statue of Liberty	monument	pack
Tokyo	metropolis	batch
Barack Obama	president	council
Nile	river	chain
United Nations	organization	assembly
Red Cross	organization	guild
Louvre	museum	crowd
Hollywood	district	troupe
Buckingham Palace	palace	troop
Tesla	automaker	gang
Samsung	company	suite
Atlantic	ocean	fleet
Beatles	band	panel
World Cup	event	bench
Shakespeare	playwright	team
Apple Inc.	tech giant	squad
Mount Fuji	volcano	flight
Facebook	platform	nest
Queen Elizabeth	monarch	staff
Tundra	biome	gaggle
Walmart	store chain	hive
Kremlin	fortress	troop
Volkswagen	carmaker	brigade
Statue of Liberty	monument	cluster
Oktoberfest	festival	mob
Apollo	mission	pack
Disneyland	amusement park	school
Beethoven	composer	regiment
Hoover Dam	dam	caravan
Times Square	landmark	battalion

 

 

Collective noun examples in sentences

• The audience applauded loudly after the performance.
• A band of musicians entertained the crowd at the concert.
• She received a beautiful bouquet of flowers on her birthday.
• The bunch of grapes looked fresh and delicious.
• Our class decided to organize a charity event.
• The ship’s crew worked tirelessly throughout the night.
• A flock of birds flew across the sunset sky.
• A group of friends went hiking over the weekend.
• We saw a herd of elephants at the safari park.
• The pack of wolves roamed through the forest.
• Our soccer team won the championship.
• My family gathers every Sunday for dinner.
• The panel of judges announced the winner of the contest.
• The jury reached a unanimous decision.
• The company’s staff welcomed the new CEO.
• The committee met to discuss the upcoming event.
• The church choir performed beautifully during the service.
• The company of actors traveled from city to city for the play.
• The orchestra played a stunning symphony.
• The city council debated the new policy for hours.
• Our university faculty includes many distinguished scholars.
• The board approved the new budget proposal.
• A squad of soldiers patrolled the area.
• An army of volunteers helped clean the beach.
• The regiment marched down the street for the parade.
• A battalion of soldiers was sent on a peacekeeping mission.
• The platoon was assigned to guard the entrance.
• The convoy of trucks delivered supplies to the village.
• The movie cast attended the film’s premiere.
• A cluster of stars shone brightly in the night sky.
• The troop of scouts set up camp in the woods.
• The mob gathered in protest outside the building.
• A colony of ants swarmed over the picnic crumbs.
• The dog gave birth to a litter of puppies.
• A pod of dolphins swam alongside our boat.
• The gaggle of geese honked loudly as they flew overhead.
• The shoal of fish moved gracefully in unison.
• A swarm of bees chased us from the flowers.
• A murder of crows cawed from the trees.
• The parliament of owls met in the old barn.
• A pride of lions rested in the shade.
• The school had an impressive faculty of teachers.
• The fleet of ships sailed out to sea.
• The cartload of supplies was delivered to the festival.
• A brigade of firefighters battled the blaze.
• The assembly gathered to hear the president’s speech.
• A galaxy of stars filled the night sky.
• A clutch of eggs lay in the nest.
• A bevy of swans glided across the pond.
• A tribe of nomads traveled across the desert.
• The drove of cattle was herded into the pen.
• A host of angels appeared in the painting.
• The posse of cowboys rode into town.
• A sleigh of bears was spotted near the forest.
• A hive of bees produces honey.
• The birds built a nest in the tree.
• The ring of thieves was finally captured by the police.
• The school faculty held a meeting for the teachers.
• A gang of youths played soccer in the park.
• A patrol of police officers checked the neighborhood.
• The set of tools was arranged neatly on the table.
• She wore a beautiful string of pearls.
• A league of nations worked to resolve the crisis.
• The division of troops moved to their assigned positions.
• The flight of stairs led to the rooftop.
• A pile of books lay on the floor.
• The batch of cookies was still warm from the oven.
• The library had an extensive collection of books.
• The suite of rooms had a wonderful view.
• He carried a bundle of newspapers under his arm.
• A clowder of cats lay in the sun.
• A skulk of foxes was seen near the fence.
• The plague of locusts destroyed the crops.
• A sloth of bears rested in the shade.
• The scout troop set up their tents by the river.
• A knot of toads hopped around the pond.
• A host of angels filled the room with light.
• A drift of pigs wallowed in the mud.
• A muster of peacocks spread their feathers.
• A brood of chicks followed their mother.
• A bale of turtles lay on the shore.
• The office received a barrage of complaints.
• The circus troupe performed acrobatic stunts.
• A troop of baboons played in the trees.
• The skein of geese flew in a V formation.
• A swarm of bees buzzed around the hive.
• A paddling of ducks splashed in the pond.
• A bed of oysters lay on the ocean floor.
• The peal of bells echoed across the town.
• A nest of snakes slithered through the grass.
• A pack of dogs barked at the stranger.
• The array of colors in the painting was breathtaking.
• A block of apartments lined the street.
• The deck of cards was shuffled.
• A gang of criminals was apprehended.
• The batch of documents was submitted.
• The rack of clothes was on sale.
• The school of whales migrated to warmer waters.
• The company of actors traveled from city to city.
• The caravan of camels crossed the desert.

100 collective nouns with examples:

1. Army – An army of ants marched across the picnic blanket.
2. Conspiracy – A conspiracy of ravens plotted in the dark.
3. Bask – A bask of crocodiles sunbathed on the riverbank.
4. Business – A business of ferrets played in the grass.
5. Cackle – A cackle of hyenas echoed through the night.
6. Chowder – A chowder of clams was served at dinner.
7. Coven – A coven of witches gathered around the fire.
8. Dew – A dew of rabbits nibbled on the fresh grass.
9. Exaltation – A exaltation of larks sang at dawn.
10. Flock – A flock of flamingos stood gracefully by the water.
11. Gaze – A gaze of raccoons rummaged through the trash.
12. Glint – A glint of fish darted through the reef.
13. Knot – A knot of toads sat by the pond.
14. Leash – A leash of dogs waited patiently for their owners.
15. Murder – A murder of vultures circled the sky.
16. Nest – A nest of hornets buzzed ominously in the tree.
17. Obstinacy – A obstinacy of buffalo grazed in the field.
18. Paddle – A paddle of ducks swam peacefully in the lake.
19. Parade – A parade of elephants walked through the village.
20. Parliament – A parliament of owls hooted in the trees.
21. Paw – A paw of cats lounged in the sun.
22. Pitying – A pitying of doves cooed softly in the garden.
23. Quiver – A quiver of arrows was found in the forest.
24. Scurry – A scurry of squirrels raced up the tree.
25. Shiver – A shiver of sharks circled the boat.
26. Skein – A skein of geese flew south for the winter.
27. Skein – A skein of threads lay tangled on the table.
28. Snarl – A snarl of dogs barked loudly at the stranger.
29. Sounder – A sounder of wild boars foraged for food.
30. Team – A team of horses pulled the wagon.
31. Trove – A trove of treasures was discovered in the cave.
32. Watch – A watch of nightingales sang sweetly at dusk.
33. Waddle – A waddle of penguins marched across the ice.
34. Welter – A welter of rats scurried through the alley.
35. Yoke – A yoke of oxen plowed the field.
36. Zeal – A zeal of zebras grazed on the savanna.
37. Bale – A bale of turtles was seen on the beach.
38. Bounty – A bounty of stars filled the night sky.
39. Brigade – A brigade of firefighters arrived quickly.
40. Celestial – A celestial of comets passed through the galaxy.
41. Cluster – A cluster of galaxies shone brightly.
42. Clutch – A clutch of eggs lay in the nest.
43. Collective – A collective of musicians formed a band.
44. Conclave – A conclave of scholars met to discuss the findings.
45. Delight – A delight of butterflies danced in the garden.
46. Dodge – A dodge of athletes practiced for the competition.
47. Drome – A drome of dinosaurs roamed the land.
48. Exultation – An exultation of larks filled the morning air.
49. Flock – A flock of seagulls swooped down for food.
50. Huddle – A huddle of penguins kept warm in the cold.
51. Knot – A knot of snakes slithered through the grass.
52. Mob – A mob of kangaroos jumped across the field.
53. Nest – A nest of baby birds chirped loudly for food.
54. Pack – A pack of coyotes howled at the moon.
55. Paw – A paw of puppies tumbled over each other.
56. Pod – A pod of whales breached the surface of the water.
57. Rebellion – A rebellion of mice invaded the pantry.
58. Scourge – A scourge of locusts threatened the crops.
59. Scramble – A scramble of frogs leaped into the pond.
60. Serenity – A serenity of deer grazed peacefully.
61. Shower – A shower of meteors lit up the night sky.
62. Skulk – A skulk of foxes watched from the bushes.
63. Slither – A slither of snakes basked in the sun.
64. Spiral – A spiral of hawks soared above.
65. Sprinkle – A sprinkle of stars appeared as dusk fell.
66. Streak – A streak of lightning lit up the sky.
67. String – A string of pearls adorned her neck.
68. Swarm – A swarm of mosquitoes buzzed around the campsite.
69. Tangle – A tangle of vines covered the old tree.
70. Team – A team of scientists worked on the project.
71. Thread – A thread of hope remained in the dark times.
72. Trickle – A trickle of water flowed down the rocks.
73. Troop – A troop of monkeys played in the trees.
74. Twilight – A twilight of stars twinkled in the dusk.
75. Vortex – A vortex of leaves swirled in the wind.
76. Waddle – A waddle of ducks crossed the road.
77. Wake – A wake of fish darted through the water.
78. Wave – A wave of excitement swept through the crowd.
79. Whirl – A whirl of color filled the painting.
80. Whisper – A whisper of secrets filled the air.
81. Wisp – A wisp of smoke curled from the chimney.
82. Yarn – A yarn of stories captivated the children.
83. Yoke – A yoke of oxen pulled the heavy cart.
84. Zephyr – A zephyr of breezes cooled the hot day.
85. Bunch – A bunch of grapes hung from the vine.
86. Card – A card of players sat around the table.
87. Dew – A dew of gems sparkled in the sunlight.
88. Flutter – A flutter of butterflies danced in the garden.
89. Grove – A grove of trees lined the path.
90. March – A march of soldiers passed by the memorial.
91. Nudge – A nudge of friends encouraged each other.
92. Panic – A panic of people rushed to the exit.
93. Range – A range of mountains loomed in the distance.
94. Skein – A skein of yarn lay across the floor.
95. Squall – A squall of wind shook the windows.
96. Stack – A stack of books was on the desk.
97. Trail – A trail of footprints led into the sand.
98. Troop – A troop of girls gathered for the event.
99. Vault – A vault of treasure was hidden in the cave.
100. Zeal – A zeal of zealots rallied for their cause.

 

 

Some collective noun exercises for beginner English learners

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct collective noun from the word bank.

Word Bank:

• team
• flock
• school
• swarm
• pack
• troop
• bunch
• herd

1. A _______ of sheep grazed in the meadow.
2. The _______ of students gathered for the assembly.
3. We saw a _______ of fish swimming in the aquarium.
4. A _______ of bees buzzed around the flowers.
5. A _______ of wolves howled in the night.
6. The _______ of monkeys swung from tree to tree.
7. She bought a _______ of grapes from the market.
8. A _______ of elephants walked through the savanna.

Exercise 2: Match the Collective Nouns

Match the collective noun with the correct group it describes.

1. Murder
   a) Lions
   b) Crows
   c) Fish
2. Pride
   a) Fish
   b) Crows
   c) Lions
3. School
   a) Fish
   b) Bears
   c) Geese
4. Gaggle
   a) Geese
   b) Wolves
   c) Elephants
5. Pack
   a) Wolves
   b) Cows
   c) Birds

Exercise 3: Create Sentences

Write sentences using the following collective nouns. Be creative and use your imagination!

1. Bale
   • Example Sentence: _________________________________________
2. Conspiracy
   • Example Sentence: _________________________________________
3. Quiver
   • Example Sentence: _________________________________________
4. Paddle
   • Example Sentence: _________________________________________
5. Huddle
   • Example Sentence: _________________________________________

Exercise 4: Identify the Collective Noun

Read the sentences and underline the collective nouns.

1. A parliament of owls hooted at night.
2. The herd of cattle grazed peacefully in the field.
3. A bunch of flowers brightened the room.
4. We observed a murder of crows flying overhead.
5. A swarm of locusts descended on the crops.

Answers

Exercise 1:

1. flock
2. team
3. school
4. swarm
5. pack
6. troop
7. bunch
8. herd

Exercise 2:

1. b) Crows
2. c) Lions
3. a) Fish
4. a) Geese
5. a) Wolves

Exercise 3: Bale

1. • Example Sentence: A bale of hay was stacked in the barn.
2. Conspiracy
   • Example Sentence: The detective uncovered a conspiracy among the suspects.
3. Quiver
   • Example Sentence: A quiver of arrows was found at the archery range.
4. Paddle
   • Example Sentence: The paddle of ducks glided gracefully across the lake.
5. Huddle
   • Example Sentence: The football players formed a huddle to discuss their next play.

Exercise 4:

1. A parliament of owls hooted at night.
2. The herd of cattle grazed peacefully in the field.
3. A bunch of flowers brightened the room.
4. We observed a murder of crows flying overhead.
5. A swarm of locusts descended on the crops.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about collective nouns

1. What is a collective noun?
   A collective noun is a word that refers to a group of individuals or things considered as a single entity. Examples include team, flock, family, and class.
2. Can you give some examples of collective nouns?

• A team of players
• A flock of birds

• A bunch of grapes
• A pack of wolves
• A class of students

3. Are collective nouns singular or plural?
   Collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural depending on the context. When emphasizing the group as a single unit, a singular verb is used (e.g., “The team wins”). When focusing on the individuals within the group, a plural verb can be used (e.g., “The team are arguing among themselves”).
4. How do I know when to use a singular or plural verb with collective nouns?
   The choice between singular and plural verbs often depends on whether you are thinking of the group as a single unit or as individuals acting separately. In British English, plural verbs are more commonly used, while American English tends to favor singular verbs.
5. Can a collective noun refer to people?
   Yes, collective nouns can refer to people as well as animals or objects. For example, “crew” (referring to people working together), “audience” (a group of viewers), and “class” (a group of students) are all collective nouns.
6. Are there any rules for forming collective nouns?
   There are no strict rules, but many collective nouns have traditional forms. Some collective nouns are standard (e.g., “team,” “family”), while others can be less common or more creative (e.g., “murder” for crows).
7. Are collective nouns the same in all languages?
   Collective nouns exist in many languages, but the specific terms and their usage can vary. The concept of referring to a group as a single unit is universal, but the words used may differ significantly.
8. Can you use more than one collective noun in a sentence?
   Yes, you can use multiple collective nouns in a single sentence. For example: “A flock of birds and a herd of cattle were seen grazing in the field.”
9. What is the difference between collective nouns and other nouns?
   Collective nouns specifically refer to groups, while other nouns may refer to individual items or entities. For instance, “dog” is a common noun for a single animal, while “pack” is a collective noun that refers to a group of dogs.
10. How can I practice using collective nouns?
    You can practice collective nouns through exercises, such as filling in the blanks, matching collective nouns to their groups, and writing sentences that incorporate collective nouns. Games and quizzes can also be effective in reinforcing learning.