What does collectivism mean?
Collectivism is the principle that the group — whether a community, society, or state — should take precedence over the interests of any single individual. As a social value, it emphasizes cooperation, shared responsibility, and communal welfare; as an economic doctrine, it refers to systems in which property and the means of production are owned and administered collectively rather than privately. The word rose to prominence in nineteenth-century political debate as the deliberate opposite of individualism, and it became closely associated with socialist and communist thought, though it also describes cultural norms in which family or community needs come first. Its connotation depends heavily on the speaker: admirers invoke it to celebrate solidarity and mutual aid, while critics wield it to warn against the suppression of personal freedom. In psychology and anthropology, collectivism versus individualism remains a standard framework for comparing cultures. Understanding the word means grasping both its precise political sense and its broader role in debates about how individuals relate to the groups they belong to.
nounThe principle or practice of giving priority to the group or community over the individual, especially in social, economic, or political organization. More specifically, it denotes a political or economic system in which the means of production and resources are owned and controlled collectively.
- A social or ethical principle holding that the group or community should take priority over individual interests.
- An economic or political system in which property, especially the means of production, is owned and managed collectively.
"The village's farming traditions reflected a deep-rooted collectivism, with land worked and harvests shared by all."
"Japanese corporate culture is often described as emphasizing collectivism over personal ambition."
"The revolutionaries promised that collectivism would replace private ownership of the factories and farms."
Rarely pluralized; the plural typically appears only in academic writing comparing multiple varieties of collectivist thought or organization.
"The seminar compared agrarian and industrial collectivisms across twentieth-century Europe."
When 'collectivism' entered English in the 1800s, it was coined as a direct counterpoint to 'individualism' — two words born together as rivals.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of collectivism
Collectivism derives from the adjective 'collective', which comes from Latin 'colligere' ('to gather together'), formed from 'com-' ('together') plus 'legere' ('to gather or choose'). The noun was coined in the mid-nineteenth century, appearing in French ('collectivisme') before entering English around the 1870s–1880s, when it became a standard label for socialist doctrines of collective ownership. English shares this Latin root with a wide family of words, including 'collect', 'collection', 'select', and 'elect'.
Related word forms
How collectivism is actually used
Collectivism is largely neutral in dictionary register but strongly connotative in use: praised by advocates of communal solidarity and used critically by defenders of individual liberty. It appears most often in academic, political, and journalistic writing rather than everyday conversation. In cross-cultural psychology, the term (often paired with 'individualism') describes societies that prioritize group goals, a usage popularized by Geert Hofstede's research.
Easily confused with collectivism
Communism is a specific ideology aiming for a classless, stateless society through collective ownership, whereas collectivism is a broader principle of prioritizing the group over the individual that need not imply any particular political system.
Socialism is a specific economic and political system advocating social ownership of production, while collectivism is the general cultural or ethical value of group solidarity that may underlie many different systems.
A collectible is an item worth collecting; despite the shared root, it has nothing to do with group-oriented social organization.