Collocation
noun
The way some words often go together in sentences or phrases.
In English, 'fast food' is a common collocation.
Often appears as...
- 'make a decision'
- 'heavy rain'
noun
In linguistics, it refers to the habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance.
The collocation of 'strong' with 'tea' in British English.
Often appears as...
- lexical collocation
- grammatical collocation
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
noun
In computing, it is a service provided by data centers to rent physical office space, network or Internet bandwidth and other resources to its customers.
He decided to use a collocation service to expand his cloud server capacity.
Often appears as...
- data center collocation
- server collocation
Usage tips
Formal
Technical
noun
The way some words often go together in sentences or phrases.
In English, 'fast food' is a common collocation.
Often appears as...
- 'make a decision'
- 'heavy rain'
noun
In linguistics, it refers to the habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance.
The collocation of 'strong' with 'tea' in British English.
Often appears as...
- lexical collocation
- grammatical collocation
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
noun
In computing, it is a service provided by data centers to rent physical office space, network or Internet bandwidth and other resources to its customers.
He decided to use a collocation service to expand his cloud server capacity.
Often appears as...
- data center collocation
- server collocation
Usage tips
Formal
Technical
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Natural Sound
Using correct collocations makes your English sound natural and fluent.
Saying 'do homework' instead of 'make homework' sounds more natural.
Pro Tip 2/3Fixed Expressions
Some collocations become fixed expressions and can't be changed without sounding odd.
We say 'fast food', not 'quick food'.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Nuances
Collocations can vary by English-speaking region, reflecting different cultural references.
Americans may say 'take a rain check' while Brits would not.
Pro Tip 1/3Natural Sound
Using correct collocations makes your English sound natural and fluent.
Saying 'do homework' instead of 'make homework' sounds more natural.
Pro Tip 2/3Fixed Expressions
Some collocations become fixed expressions and can't be changed without sounding odd.
We say 'fast food', not 'quick food'.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Nuances
Collocations can vary by English-speaking region, reflecting different cultural references.
Americans may say 'take a rain check' while Brits would not.
Pro Tip 1/3Natural Sound
Using correct collocations makes your English sound natural and fluent.
Saying 'do homework' instead of 'make homework' sounds more natural.
Pro Tip 2/3Fixed Expressions
Some collocations become fixed expressions and can't be changed without sounding odd.
We say 'fast food', not 'quick food'.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Nuances
Collocations can vary by English-speaking region, reflecting different cultural references.
Americans may say 'take a rain check' while Brits would not.
Never forget "Collocation"
Humans forget easily. That's why you should download WordUp: Smart reminders, word games, AI practice, and much more!
WordUp Chrome Extension
As you browse the web instantly look up words you don’t know.
Get Chrome Extension