aggregate

American  

[ag-ri-git, -geyt, ag-ri-geyt] / ˈæg rɪ gɪt, -ˌgeɪt, ˈæg rɪˌgeɪt /

adjective

1. formed by the conjunction or collection of particulars into a whole mass or sum; total; combined.

   the aggregate amount of indebtedness.

   Synonyms:

   whole, complete

2. Botany.

   1. (of a flower) formed of florets collected in a dense cluster but not cohering, as the daisy.

   2. (of a fruit) composed of a cluster of carpels belonging to the same flower, as the raspberry.

3. Geology. (of a rock) consisting of a mixture of minerals separable by mechanical means.

---

noun

1. a sum, mass, or assemblage of particulars; a total or gross amount.

   the aggregate of all past experience.

2. a cluster of soil particles: an aggregate larger than 250 micrometers in diameter, as the size of a small crumb, is technically regarded as a macroaggregate.

3. any of various loose, particulate materials, as sand, gravel, or pebbles, added to a cementing agent to make concrete, plaster, etc.

4. Mathematics. set.

verb (used with object)

aggregated, aggregating

1. to bring together; collect into one sum, mass, or body.

   Synonyms:

   gather, accumulate, amass, assemble

2. to amount to (the number of ).

   The guns captured will aggregate five or six hundred.

verb (used without object)

aggregated, aggregating

1. to combine and form a collection or mass.

idioms

1. in the aggregate, taken or considered as a whole.

   In the aggregate, our losses have been relatively small.

aggregate British  

/ ˈæɡrɪˌɡeɪtɪv /

adjective

1. formed of separate units collected into a whole; collective; corporate

2. (of fruits and flowers) composed of a dense cluster of carpels or florets

---

noun

1. a sum or assemblage of many separate units; sum total

2. geology a rock, such as granite, consisting of a mixture of minerals

3. the sand and stone mixed with cement and water to make concrete

4. a group of closely related biotypes produced by apomixis, such as brambles, which are the Rubus fruticosus aggregate

5. taken as a whole

verb

1. to combine or be combined into a body, etc

2. (tr) to amount to (a number)

Other Word Forms

• aggregable
  adjective
• aggregately
  adjective
• aggregately
  adverb
• aggregateness
  noun
• aggregative
  adjective
• aggregatory
  adjective
• hyperaggregate
  verb
• reaggregate
  verb
• subaggregate
  adjective
• subaggregately
  adverb
• unaggregated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of aggregate

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin aggregātus (past participle of aggregāre ), equivalent to ag- ag- + greg- (stem of grex “flock”) + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

To aggregate is to collect many units into one. If you're writing a novel, you might create a character who is an aggregate of five or six real people. Aggregate comes from the Latin verb aggregare, which means to add to. As a verb it means to collect into a mass or whole. You can also use it as an adjective, as in your aggregate sales for February, March and April. It can also be a noun. The mountain of foam in bubble bath is an aggregate of small bubbles. If you plan to work in economics or business, expect to see the word aggregate quite a lot.

Example Sentences

Aggregate Bond Index, Float Adjusted, which invests in the same sectors as the flagship Agg index with roughly similar weightings, but it excludes bonds held by the Federal Reserve.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Aggregate consumer spending is holding up, partly due to tax refunds, but economists expect inflation to slow future spending.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Aggregate tech earnings for this year, forecast by analysts, are up 10% since just before October, according to FactSet.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

It’s boring and unglamorous and 100 times more effective at protecting your money than a passive index fund that has to buy every piece of garbage in the Bloomberg Aggregate.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 7, 2025

Aggregate admeasurement of six Aggregate admeasurement of six dug up and replanted.

From Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2 by Hoar, George Frisbie

Related Words

• accumulated
• combined
• corporate
• cumulative