collated: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal/Technical
Quick answer
What does “collated” mean?
to collect and combine information, texts, or data from different sources into a single, organized whole, typically in a logical order.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to collect and combine information, texts, or data from different sources into a single, organized whole, typically in a logical order.
In a general sense, it means to gather, arrange, and systematize. In printing/bookbinding, it specifically means to check the order and completeness of the pages or sheets of a book.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. In office contexts, both use it, but the specific departmental title 'Collator' for a machine or role might be slightly more common in British office jargon.
Connotations
Slightly more formal and bookish in everyday speech in both varieties. In academic/technical contexts, it is neutral.
Frequency
Comparably low frequency in general conversation, but standard in professional, academic, and technical registers in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “collated” in a Sentence
collate something (from/into something)collate something with somethingsomething is collated by someone/somethingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “collated” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Please collate the witness statements in chronological order.
- The machine collates and staples the pamphlets automatically.
American English
- We need to collate the survey responses before Friday.
- The printer can collate multiple copies of the report.
adverb
British English
- [Extremely rare. 'Collatingly' is not standard. Use a phrase like 'in a collated manner'.]
American English
- [Extremely rare. 'Collatingly' is not standard. Use a phrase like 'in a collated fashion'.]
adjective
British English
- The collated report is now on the shared drive.
- Please send me the collated feedback from all departments.
American English
- Here is the collated list of attendees.
- The final, collated data set is ready for analysis.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The quarterly sales figures from all regions have been collated into the master dashboard.
Academic
The researcher collated data from over fifty primary sources for her meta-analysis.
Everyday
Before the meeting, she collated all the feedback forms everyone had submitted.
Technical
The database software automatically collates entries from multiple input streams.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “collated”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “collated”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “collated”
- Using 'collated' to mean simply 'collected' without the implied ordering/synthesis (e.g., 'I collated the mail from the mat' is odd).
- Misspelling as 'collatted' or 'colated'.
- Using it in overly informal contexts where 'put together' would suffice.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
To 'collect' is simply to gather. To 'collate' is to gather AND then systematically order, compare, or combine the items into a coherent whole.
Yes, especially in printing/bookbinding (collating pages). In a broader sense, it's used for documents, reports, and data sets. It's less common for random physical objects like 'collating rocks'.
No, it's more common in professional, academic, and technical contexts. In everyday conversation, people might say 'put together', 'gather up', or 'compile' instead.
It can refer to a person who collates documents, or more commonly, a machine (often part of a photocopier or printer) that automatically gathers and orders multiple sets of printed sheets.
to collect and combine information, texts, or data from different sources into a single, organized whole, typically in a logical order.
Collated is usually formal/technical in register.
Collated: in British English it is pronounced /kəˈleɪtɪd/, and in American English it is pronounced /kəˈleɪtəd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms directly with 'collated']”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a **COLL**eague bringing you a **LATE** report; you need to COLLATE it with the other reports you already have.
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION IS PHYSICAL MATERIAL (that can be gathered, sorted, and bound together like pages in a book).
Practice
Quiz
In which of these contexts is the word 'collated' used most appropriately?