Standard Lemma guide

collate

verb · 7 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /kəˈleɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈkoʊ.leɪt/
  • Canada, General-American: /kəˈleɪt/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /kəˈlæɪt/
  • rhymes with -eɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 L EY1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To examine diverse documents and so on, to discover similarities and differences.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The young attorneys were set the task of collating the contract submitted by the other side with the previous copy.
  • collate data
  • collate findings
  • collate information
  • collate results

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To assemble something in a logical sequence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To sort multiple copies of printed documents into sequences of individual page order, one sequence for each copy, especially before binding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Collating was still necessary because they had to insert foldout sheets and index tabs into the documents.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To bestow or confer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To admit a cleric to a benefice; to present and institute in a benefice, when the person presenting is both the patron and the ordinary; followed by to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

compare critically; of texts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: compare

7

verb

Meaning 7

to assemble in proper sequence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • collate the papers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: order

History

Etymology

From Latin collātus, perfect passive participle of conferō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of confer. See also infer, delate and defer (Etymology 2), relate and refer, as well as prelate and prefer among others. Not related to collateral.

Across languages

Translations

49 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: сравня́вам (sravnjávam) — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Catalan: col·lacionar — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Finnish: vertailla — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • French: collationner — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • German: abgleichen — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • German: kollationieren — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • German: vergleichen — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • German: zuordnen — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Malay: kumpul semak — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Malay: mengumpul semak — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Norwegian: sammenligne — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Portuguese: cotejar — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Russian: сопоставля́ть (sopostavljátʹ) — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Russian: сопоста́вить (sopostávitʹ) — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Russian: сра́внивать (srávnivatʹ) — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Russian: сравни́ть (sravnítʹ) — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Russian: слича́ть (sličátʹ) — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Russian: сличи́ть (sličítʹ) — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Spanish: cotejar — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Spanish: colacionar — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Spanish: carear — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Swedish: kollationera — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Turkish: karşılaştırarak okumak — examine diverse documents, etc.
  • Bulgarian: съпоставям (sǎpostavjam) — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Dutch: sorteren — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Esperanto: ordizi — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Finnish: järjestää — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • German: ordnen — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • German: anordnen — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Irish: comhthiomsaigh — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Irish: cuir i dtoll a chéile — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Irish: tabhair le chéile — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Māori: whakahiato — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Russian: располага́ть (raspolagátʹ) — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Russian: расположи́ть (raspoložítʹ) — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Turkish: dizmek — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Turkish: düzenlemek — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Turkish: harmanlamak — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Turkish: sıraya koymak — assemble something in a logical sequence
  • Dutch: sorteren — sort multiple copies of printed documents into sequences of individual page order
  • Finnish: järjestää — sort multiple copies of printed documents into sequences of individual page order
  • German: sortieren — sort multiple copies of printed documents into sequences of individual page order
  • Hungarian: leválogat — sort multiple copies of printed documents into sequences of individual page order
  • Irish: cuir in ord — sort multiple copies of printed documents into sequences of individual page order
  • Korean: 함께 합치다 (hamkke hapchida) — sort multiple copies of printed documents into sequences of individual page order
  • Catalan: col·lar — admit a cleric to a benefice
  • Dutch: beroepen — admit a cleric to a benefice
  • Finnish: asettaa kirkonmies virkaan — admit a cleric to a benefice
  • Irish: ceap — admit a cleric to a benefice