characteristic vs collective

characteristic

adj
  • Being a distinguishing feature of a person or thing. 

noun
  • A distinguishing feature of a person or thing. 

  • For a given field or ring, a natural number that is either the smallest positive number n such that n instances of the multiplicative identity (1) summed together yield the additive identity (0) or, if no such number exists, the number 0. 

  • The integer part of a logarithm. 

  • The distinguishing features of a navigational light on a lighthouse etc by which it can be identified (colour, pattern of flashes etc.). 

collective

adj
  • Expressing a collection or aggregate of individuals, by a singular form. 

  • Having plurality of origin or authority. 

  • Formed by gathering or collecting; gathered into a mass, sum, or body. 

  • Tending to collect; forming a collection. 

noun
  • A group dedicated to a particular cause or interest. 

  • A farm owned by a collection of people. 

  • A collective noun or name. 

  • One of more farms managed and owned, through the state, by the community. 

  • The flight control used to control a helicopter's ascent or descent. 

How often have the words characteristic and collective occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )