Uncollated: meaning, definitions and examples
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uncollated
[ ʌnˈkoʊleɪtɪd ]
data organization
Uncollated refers to items that have not been arranged or organized in a specific order. This term is often used in contexts such as printing or sorting documents, where pages may be produced or stacked randomly rather than in a sequential order.
Synonyms
disorganized, random, unarranged.
Examples of usage
- Please print the reports uncollated for easier distribution.
- The documents were left uncollated, making them difficult to review.
- Uncollated sheets can lead to confusion during the final assembly of the project.
Etymology
The word 'uncollated' is derived from the prefix 'un-', which denotes negation or opposite, combined with 'collate', a term that traces its origins to the Latin 'collatus', the past participle of 'colligere', meaning 'to gather together'. The evolution of 'collate' in English dates back to the early 16th century, initially referring to the act of collecting and arranging printed sheets of paper into a specific order. The prefix 'un-' added to 'collated' illustrates a process that has not been completed, or a state of being unorganized. The use of 'uncollated' became more prominent with the growth of printing technology, particularly in the 19th century, as the need for precise document handling and organization became critical in administrative and publication processes.