team
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /tˈiːm/
US
- /ˈtim/
Description
- group working together
- collaboration
- unit
- collective effort
- partnership
Imagine a flock of geese flying in formation - that's a team at work! A team isn't just any group of people; it's a group of individuals who work together to reach a shared goal. Think of sports teams, rescue teams, or even students working on a school project. The word often carries the idea of people pulling together, and that sense of shared effort still matters today. You can be on a team, build a team, or work as a team. Sometimes "team" is also used more loosely for any group with a shared identity, like "Team Awesome" for your friends.
The word "team" describes a group of people who work together toward a common objective. It implies collaboration, shared responsibility, and often specialized roles within the group. While you can simply have a collection of individuals, a true team goes beyond that - members actively support each other and use their combined strengths to achieve something bigger than any one person could accomplish alone.
The origins of "team" are fascinating! The word comes from Old English and has long been connected with the idea of things or beings joined together for a shared purpose, especially animals working side by side. That history highlights the core idea of working in unison, with each member contributing to one united effort.
"Team" can be used in many contexts: sports ("the winning team"), business ("a project team"), emergency services ("search and rescue team"), or even informally among friends ("Let's form a team for trivia night!"). It's also increasingly used metaphorically, such as saying "We're all on the same team" to emphasize unity and shared purpose.
However, it's important to remember that simply being in a group doesn't automatically make it a team. A successful team requires communication, trust, and a commitment from each member to work toward the collective goal. So whether you're building bridges, scoring goals, or solving problems, a strong team is often the key to success.
Examples
- 1
Sports
She joined the school basketball team last year.
- 2
Workplace cooperation
The whole team stayed late to finish the presentation.
- 3
Work style
Some people prefer working alone, but I do my best work in a team.
- 4
Customer support
The customer support team answers emails within a few hours.
- 5
Medical group
A team of doctors examined the patient.
- 6
Management
The management team is meeting this afternoon to discuss the budget.
- 7
Shared work
Finishing the event on time was a real team effort.
Phrase
team effort
something achieved by people working together
- 8
Shared goal
We may disagree about the details, but we're on the same team.
Phrase
on the same team
working toward the same goal
- 9
Cooperation
For this project, we teamed up with a local charity.
Pattern
team up with + person/group
join with someone to do something together
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- teamnounverb
Forms
- teamspluralnounverb
- teamedpast tenseverbnoun
- teaming-ing formverbnoun