mere collection of

USAGE SUMMARY

"mere collection of" is a perfectly correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to indicate that someone has put together a group of similar items, but hasn't necessarily applied any special care or consideration to doing so. For example, you could say "His desk was a mere collection of books and papers".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

48 human-written examples

An aggregate collectivity is a mere collection of individuals such as a crowd or the people standing at a bus stop or a statistical category such as middle-income earners.

SEP

But the book is by no means a mere collection of previously published essays...

Cornell University

The coherent whole that results is considered to show the truth more completely than would a mere collection of parts.

Britannica

On the surface, the conversation might seem like a mere collection of scary stories about good cheese gone bad.

The New York Times - Food

It is no mere collection of papers, but offers quality research from worldwide experts in a systematic and cohesive way.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

She had her own ideas about the project, however, one of them being that it should be a "real teaching book" rather than a mere collection of recipes.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

12 human-written examples

Are diversified firms mere collections of independent assets, or is there anything that glues together different businesses?

Harvard University

"The fact that we human beings – who are ourselves mere collections of fundamental particles of nature – have been able to come this close to an understanding of the laws governing us and our universe is a great triumph".

The Guardian

These incidents suggest that a great many problems in organizational design stem from the assumption that organizations are all alike: mere collections of component parts to which elements of structure can be added and deleted at will, a sort of organizational bazaar.

Harvard Business Review

As health enterprises have grown both horizontally and vertically in the past decade, they have almost invariably taken to calling themselves "health systems". This term poorly describes what are in many places mere collections of health assets with a common brand name.

Harvard Business Review

We need to recruit financially savvy managers from industrial companies with strong corporate cultures, such as Nestlé and P&G, and let them run the banking world.As long as banks remain mere collections of individuals, the situation will continue to be like herding cats.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "mere collection of", follow it with a description of what is lacking to provide context and emphasize the deficiency. For example: "The report was a mere collection of data, lacking any insightful analysis."

Common error

Avoid using "mere collection of" as a generic criticism. Always specify what is missing or substandard about the collection, such as a lack of analysis, cohesion, or purpose. For example, instead of saying "The presentation was a mere collection of slides", try "The presentation was a mere collection of slides, failing to establish a clear narrative or highlight key insights."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mere collection of" functions as a descriptive modifier, typically preceding a noun. It indicates that the noun it modifies is simply a group of items lacking cohesion, purpose, or significant value. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

25%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "mere collection of" is a grammatically sound phrase used to negatively describe something that lacks meaningful organization, purpose, or value. As Ludwig AI points out, the phrase is perfectly correct and usable in written English. It frequently appears in News & Media, Science, and Academic sources. Its function is to express criticism. To avoid misuse, specify what qualities are lacking in the described collection. Alternatives include "simple accumulation of" and "haphazard compilation of". Overall, it's a valuable phrase for expressing a critical perspective on a disorganized or purposeless grouping of items or ideas.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

simple accumulation of

Emphasizes the basic act of gathering without any specific selection or arrangement.

basic assortment of

Suggests a rudimentary grouping, often lacking refinement or quality.

haphazard compilation of

Highlights the random and unplanned nature of the collection.

random assortment of

Similar to 'haphazard', but emphasizes the lack of deliberate choice.

disconnected set of

Focuses on the lack of coherence or relationship between the items.

unorganized cluster of

Emphasizes the absence of structure or order within the group.

disparate array of

Highlights the variety and lack of similarity among the elements.

motley gathering of

Implies a diverse and somewhat mismatched collection of items or people.

jumble of

Describes a chaotic and disorganized mix.

accumulation without purpose

Directly points out the lack of intention or goal behind the collection.

FAQs

How can I use "mere collection of" in a sentence?

You can use "mere collection of" to describe something that lacks organization, purpose, or value. For example, "The essay was a "mere collection of" facts, without any analysis or conclusion."

What are some alternatives to "mere collection of"?

Alternatives include "simple accumulation of", "basic assortment of", or "haphazard compilation of", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say something is "more than a mere collection of"?

Yes, you can use "more than a "mere collection of"" to emphasize that something has additional qualities, such as organization, purpose, or value, that elevate it beyond a simple assortment.

What is the difference between "mere collection of" and "organized compilation of"?

"Mere collection of" suggests a lack of structure and purpose, while "organized compilation of" implies a deliberate and structured arrangement of items. The former is often used negatively, while the latter is generally positive.