gather is the most general term for bringing or coming together from a spread-out or scattered state.
a crowd quickly gathered
collect often implies careful selection or orderly arrangement.
collected books on gardening
assemble implies an ordered union or organization of persons or things often for a definite purpose.
experts assembled for a conference
congregate implies a spontaneous flocking together into a crowd or huddle.
congregating under a shelter
Example Sentences
Verb They hope to collect over 1,000 signatures on the petition. He collected stories from all over the world. They collected information about the community. We collected soil samples from several areas on the site. We collected our baggage from the baggage claim at the airport. I left my suit at the cleaners and I have to collect it today. She enjoys collecting antique teapots. He has an impressive stamp collection, though he has been collecting for only a few years. I took a minute to collect my thoughts. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Most apps on your phone collect info to learn more about you. Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2022 Our blood helps nourish developing eggs, and our objects and architecture collect standing water, giving the insects a perfect spot in which to breed their young. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2022 Beginning in June, biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game collect otoliths from fish caught in both the Gulf of Alaska and the Copper River. Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 30 July 2022 After a seller accepts a buyer’s offer, attorneys (known as solicitors) on either side collect documents including proof of funds and conduct a range of property searches. Michael Kaminer, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2022 Divots in the dome’s surface collect rainwater to create vernal pools, which are home to fairy shrimp, tiny translucent freshwater crustaceans.Outside Online, 17 June 2021 Help park staff collect litter in and around Big Bone Creek or help Sierra Club with trail maintenance. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 20 Apr. 2022 This act lets the FDA collect fees from companies that produce certain drugs and biological products for humans. Sneha Dave, STAT, 20 Mar. 2022 So what has this campaign done over the past seven months besides collect signatures? Jena Mcgregor, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2021
Verb
Contestants are required to turn in their quarry at set checkpoints, where contest officials collect the snakes and make sure they were killed properly.Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2022 Cherepnya eventually remembered Roman’s instructions — to collect his things and give them to his brother. Serhiy Morgunov, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022 Carmen Winant’s practice is rooted in precision and perseverance to collect images and explore different collage techniques to convey issues related to feminist theories and practices. Rica Cerbarano, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2022 Sorare, which was founded in Paris in 2018 by CEO Nicolas Julia and CTO Adrien Montfort, allows players to collect and trade digital NFT cards. Marco Quiroz-gutierrez, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 Now players can activate our Caesars Kansas promo code CLEFULL to collect a $1,250 bet on Caesars and more. Xl Media, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2022 Homicide detectives were working to collect evidence at the scene and find witnesses. David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2022 Once the Orion reaches the moon, the spacecraft will stay in orbit for about six days to collect data and allow mission controllers to test the spacecraft's performance. Jason Duaine Hahn, Peoplemag, 3 Sep. 2022 Companion legislation also approved by the Senate would require the Environmental Protection Agency to collect and distribute data on recycling and composting rates across the country.WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022
Adverb or adjective
The octogenarian monetarist, who knew the value a dollar from all angles, would phone back collect. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English collecte, collet, borrowed from Anglo-French collecte, borrowed from Medieval Latin collēcta, perhaps going back to Late Latin, in sense "gathering place, assembly" (assuming the original reference was to ōrātiō ad collēctam, a prayer recited at the congregation's gathering place), going back to Latin, feminine of collēctus, past participle of colligere "to gather together, assemble, accumulate" — more at collect entry 2
Verb
Middle English collecten "to accumulate, infer, calculate," borrowed from Anglo-French collecter, borrowed from Latin collēctus, past participle of colligere "to gather together, assemble, accumulate, pull (oneself) together," from col-, assimilated variant of com-com- + legere "to gather by picking or plucking, select, choose" — more at legend