Etymologically
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collaboration

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 12:39. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kəˌlæbəˈɹeɪʃən/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French collaboration,[2][3] a noun of action from Latin collabōrāre (“to work with”),[2][4] from com- (“with”) and labōrāre (“to work”) (see labour).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

United labour, working together, especially in literature or science: 1830 in Etymonline,[2] 1860 in the OED.[5]

Semantic evolution

The bad sense, traitorous co-operation with an occupying enemy, is from 1940, referring first to the Vichy government of France.[2][5] Collaborationist was used disparagingly in socialist jargon from 1922.[2][5] A work produced jointly is also called a collaboration.[6]

Timeline

  • 1830 – working together.[2]
  • 1922 – collaborationist.[2][5]
  • 1940 – co-operation with an occupying enemy.[2][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The act of working together with others on a joint project.
  2. Something produced by working jointly.
  3. Treacherous co-operation with an enemy, especially an occupying force.

Word family

  • collaborationism
  • collaborationist
  • noncollaboration
  • collaborate
  • collaborative
  • collaborator
  • labour
  • elaborate

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins