colocate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Technical
Quick answer
What does “colocate” mean?
To place or be placed together or side by side.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To place or be placed together or side by side.
In computing, to host multiple applications or services on the same physical server or in the same data center; more generally, to share a location or be situated together.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The hyphenated form 'co-locate' is slightly more common in British English, while 'colocate' is prevalent in American technical writing.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties. In business/IT contexts, it implies strategic efficiency and resource sharing.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday language. Much more common in technical, business, and academic (e.g., linguistics, archaeology) writing. Slightly higher frequency in American English due to the larger tech industry.
Grammar
How to Use “colocate” in a Sentence
[Subject] colocates [Object] (transitive)[Subject] colocate with [Object] (intransitive)[Subject] and [Subject] colocate (reciprocal)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “colocate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The plan is to co-locate the new clinic with the existing pharmacy.
- These archaeological features rarely co-locate.
American English
- We colocate our web servers in a secure data center.
- The two departments will colocate to improve collaboration.
adverb
British English
- [Not standard]
American English
- [Not standard]
adjective
British English
- [Rare as adjective; 'co-located' is used.]
American English
- [Rare as adjective; 'colocated' is used.]
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used to describe sharing office space or IT infrastructure to reduce costs. 'The startup chose to colocate with a larger firm in a shared workspace.'
Academic
In archaeology/linguistics: 'The findings colocate with evidence of early settlements.' In computing science: 'The study models the benefits of colocating virtual machines.'
Everyday
Rare. Might be used in planning: 'Shall we colocate the picnic tables and the grill?'
Technical
The primary domain. Refers to hosting servers, networking equipment, or services in a third-party data center. 'We colocate our backup servers in a Tier-3 facility.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “colocate”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “colocate”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “colocate”
- Misspelling: 'collocate' (which means to place words together linguistically).
- Using it without a technical/business context where 'put together' would be more natural.
- Incorrect stress: stressing the first syllable ('CO-locate') instead of the third ('co-lo-CATE').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Colocate' (also 'co-locate') means to place things together in a physical or logical space. 'Collocate' is a linguistics term meaning (of a word) to be regularly used with another word (e.g., 'heavy' collocates with 'rain').
Yes, it is primarily used in formal, technical, and business contexts. In everyday conversation, phrases like 'put together' or 'share a space' are more common.
Yes, but it's formal. You can say 'The two project teams were colocated to improve communication,' but in casual speech, you'd say 'moved to sit/work together.'
The most common noun is 'colocation' (or 'co-location'). In the IT industry, the shortened term 'colo' is also widely used.
To place or be placed together or side by side.
Colocate: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkəʊlə(ʊ)ˈkeɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkoʊloʊˈkeɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms for this technical term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'CO-LOCATE' = CO (together) + LOCATE (place) = to place together.
Conceptual Metaphor
SHARING SPACE IS SHARING RESOURCES (e.g., 'Colocating servers is like roommates sharing an apartment to split the rent').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the verb 'colocate' MOST commonly used?