collectable

Word family

• collect
  verbB1
• collection
  nounB1
• collector
  nounB2
• collective
  adjectiveB2
• collectible
  adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe objects people keep, but they differ in why and how. A 'collectable' is gathered as part of an organised hobby — coins, stamps, action figures — and is often traded or valued in money terms. 'Memorabilia' are items linked to a specific person, event, or era (a concert ticket, a signed jersey); their worth comes from association rather than rarity alone. A 'keepsake' is personal and sentimental — a baby shoe, a love letter — and is rarely sold. An 'antique' is defined by age, usually one hundred years or older, and carries historical value. So Walid's signed Beatles vinyl is both memorabilia and a collectable; Adina's grandmother's wedding ring is a keepsake; the 1820s desk in the hallway is an antique.

Common collocations

Etymology

Built from the verb 'collect' plus the suffix '-able', meaning 'able to be'. 'Collect' came into English in the late 14th century from Latin 'collectus', the past participle of 'colligere' (col- 'together' + legere 'to gather, choose'). The adjective 'collectable' is recorded from the early 17th century in the sense of 'able to be gathered'; the hobby-related meaning ('worth keeping as part of a collection') and the noun use both grew in the 20th century alongside organised hobbies like stamp and coin collecting.