verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/kəˈlæb.ə.ɹeɪt/
/kəˈlæb.ɹeɪt/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K AH0 L AE1 B ER0 EY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To work together with others to achieve a common goal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Let's collaborate on this project, and get it finished faster.
Wikipedia is a website where anyone can collaborate.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To voluntarily cooperate treasonably, as with an enemy occupation force in one's country.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
If you collaborate with the occupying forces, you will be shot.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
work together on a common enterprise of project
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The soprano and the pianist did not get together very well
We joined forces with another research group
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: join forces, cooperate, get together
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: work
Narrower terms: collaborate, play along, go along
4
verb
Meaning 4
cooperate as a traitor
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he collaborated with the Nazis when they occupied Paris
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: collaborate, join forces, cooperate, get together
History
Etymology
Back-formation from collaborator, from French collaborateur, or else modeled on French collaborer or directly from Late Latin collabōrātus, past participle of collabōrāre. Displaced native Old English efnwyrċan.
Across languages
Translations
96 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
تَعَاوَنَ
(taʕāwana)
— to work together on a piece of work
Azerbaijani:
ənşişmək
— to work together on a piece of work
Azerbaijani:
əməkdaşlıq etmək
— to work together on a piece of work
Bulgarian:
сътруднича
(sǎtrudniča)
— to work together on a piece of work
Catalan:
col·laborar
— to work together on a piece of work
Chinese Mandarin:
合作
(hézuò)
— to work together on a piece of work
Chinese Mandarin:
協作 /协作
(xiézuò)
— to work together on a piece of work
Chinese Mandarin:
配合
(pèihé)
— to work together on a piece of work
Czech:
spolupracovat
— to work together on a piece of work
Danish:
samarbejde
— to work together on a piece of work
Dutch:
samenwerken
— to work together on a piece of work
Esperanto:
kunlabori
— to work together on a piece of work
Esperanto:
kunagi
— to work together on a piece of work
Estonian:
koostööd tegema
— to work together on a piece of work
Faroese:
at samstarva
— to work together on a piece of work
Finnish:
tehdä yhteistyötä
— to work together on a piece of work
French:
collaborer
— to work together on a piece of work
German:
zusammenarbeiten
— to work together on a piece of work
Greek:
συνεργάζομαι
(synergázomai)
— to work together on a piece of work
Hebrew:
שיתף פעולה
(shitéf p'ula)
— to work together on a piece of work
Hungarian:
együttműködik
— to work together on a piece of work
Hungarian:
közösen/együtt dolgozik
— to work together on a piece of work
Icelandic:
vinna saman
— to work together on a piece of work
Ido:
kunlaborar
— to work together on a piece of work
Indonesian:
kerjasama
— to work together on a piece of work
Indonesian:
berkolaborasi
— to work together on a piece of work
Italian:
collaborare
— to work together on a piece of work
Japanese:
協力する
(kyōryoku suru)
— to work together on a piece of work
Japanese:
共同して働く
(kyōdō shite hataraku)
— to work together on a piece of work
Korean:
공동으로 일하다
(gongdong'euro ilhada)
— to work together on a piece of work
Latvian:
sadarboties
— to work together on a piece of work
Latvian:
līdzdarboties
— to work together on a piece of work
Lithuanian:
drauge dirbti
— to work together on a piece of work
Māori:
mahitahi
— to work together on a piece of work
Norwegian:
samarbeide
— to work together on a piece of work
Occitan:
collaborar
— to work together on a piece of work
Old English:
efnwyrċan
— to work together on a piece of work
Polish:
współpracować
— to work together on a piece of work
Portuguese:
colaborar
— to work together on a piece of work
Quechua:
haymay
— to work together on a piece of work
Romanian:
colabora
— to work together on a piece of work
Russian:
сотру́дничать
(sotrúdničatʹ)
— to work together on a piece of work
Russian:
коопери́ровать
(kooperírovatʹ)
— to work together on a piece of work
Serbo-Croatian:
сарађивати
— to work together on a piece of work
Serbo-Croatian:
сурађивати
— to work together on a piece of work
Slovak:
spolupracovať
— to work together on a piece of work
Slovene:
sodelovati
— to work together on a piece of work
Spanish:
colaborar
— to work together on a piece of work
Spanish:
coadyuvar
— to work together on a piece of work
Swedish:
samarbeta
— to work together on a piece of work
Swedish:
samverka
— to work together on a piece of work
Thai:
ร่วมมือ
(rûuam-mʉʉ)
— to work together on a piece of work
Thai:
ประสานงาน
(bprà-sǎan-ngaan)
— to work together on a piece of work
Turkish:
birlikte çalışmak
— to work together on a piece of work
Ukrainian:
співпрацюва́ти
(spivpracjuváty)
— to work together on a piece of work
Uyghur:
ھەمكارلاشماق
(hemkarlashmaq)
— to work together on a piece of work
Yiddish:
מיטאַרבעטן
(mitarbetn)
— to work together on a piece of work
Yiddish:
צוזאַמענאַרבעטן
(tsuzamenarbetn)
— to work together on a piece of work