agglomeration

[uh-glom-uh-rey-shuhn]

noun

1. a jumbled cluster or mass of varied parts.

   Synonyms: aggregate, agglomerate, conglomerate, aggregation, conglomeration, jumble

2. the act or process of agglomerating.

Word History and Origins

Origin of agglomeration¹

First recorded in 1765–75; agglomerate + -ion

When To Use

What does agglomeration mean?

An agglomeration is a messy cluster or jumbled collection of various elements.Agglomeration is often used to refer to groupings of miscellaneous things—such as various types of objects or even people—into a single (though often somewhat messy) unit.The similar word conglomeration can be used to mean just about the same thing, but it doesn’t always imply a sense of messiness like agglomeration usually does.Agglomeration can also refer to the process of agglomerating—gathering into a cluster or mass.Agglomeration is also used in a more specific way in the context of computer programming to refer to a process in which certain tasks are grouped together in code.Example: I forgot that the art project was due today, so my collage is really just an agglomeration of things I found around the house.