Definitions

1. adjective

relating to or denoting the way in which words or phrases are used together in a language, especially in relation to meaning or idiomaticity.

“The collocative patterns of the poet’s language added to the richness of the poem.”

2. noun

a word or phrase that is typically used in conjunction with another word or phrase to express a particular meaning.

“The collocation of ‘good’ and ‘morning’ is an example of a collocative expression.”

3. verb

to place or position words or phrases in relation to each other, especially in relation to meaning or idiomaticity.

“The linguist’s task was to collocate the words in a way that made sense to native speakers.”