assemble
verb (used with object)
to bring together or gather into one place, company, body, or whole.
assemble
1 American
[uh-sem-buhl]
/ əˈsɛm bəl /
verb (used with object)
-
assembles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
assembled,
past participle, past
-
assembling
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
assembles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
assembled,
past participle, past
-
assembling
present participle
assemblé
2
American
[a -sahn -blay]
/ a sɑ̃ˈbleɪ /
noun
Ballet.
-
assemblés
plural
assemble
1
British
/ əˈsɛmbəl /
verb
-
to come or bring together; collect or congregate
-
to fit or join together (the parts of something, such as a machine)
to assemble the parts of a kit
-
to run (a computer program) that converts a set of symbolic data, usually in the form of specific single-step instructions, into machine language
assemblé
2
British
/ asɑ̃ble /
noun
Usage
What does assemble mean? Assemble means to bring together in one place, as in I assembled all of the ingredients for a chocolate cake on the table. Assemble can also mean to put or fit things together, as in Ikea is known for selling furniture that you have to assemble. And assemble can mean to come together or meet up, as in The school staff assembled for a meeting. When used generally, assemble can be used as a synonym for words such as gather, collect, and amass. When used specifically, assemble often means gathering things to arrange them in a proper order or placement, as when you assemble all the parts to build a computer. Alternatively, assemble can mean to put things or parts together. This meaning is often used when referring to building or making something, as in Shontel will need to assemble several bookshelves using only a box of wooden planks. In this sense, assemble is often used to refer to fitting manufactured parts together to make a final product or device. For example, a person would assemble a Lego brick set by snapping the parts together. Both assembly and assemblage are used to refer to something that has been assembled, as in The president spoke to an assembly of world leaders. Example: She assembled a team of scientists so they could all work together on the secret project.
Synonym Usage
See gather. See manufacture.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
assemblesimple
-
assemblessimple
-
have assembledperfect
-
has assembledperfect
-
am assemblingprogressive
-
are assemblingprogressive
-
is assemblingprogressive
-
have been assemblingperfect progressive
-
has been assemblingperfect progressive
Past
-
assembledsimple
-
had assembledperfect
-
was assemblingprogressive
-
were assemblingprogressive
-
had been assemblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of assemble1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Old French assembler, from Vulgar Latin assimulāre (unrecorded) “to bring together,” from Latin as- as- + simul “together” ( cf. simultaneous) + -āre, infinitive verb suffix
Origin of assemblé2
First recorded in 1820–30; from French, past participle of assembler; see assemble
Explanation
To assemble means to bring together, as in people or parts. The volunteers assembled to assemble the bikes for the needy kids. The U.S. Constitution guarantees in something in the Bill of Rights called "the right of assembly." This means that people are allowed to come together for any purpose they chose. In countries without this right, groups who assemble can be disbanded with the idea that they may be assembling a revolution.
Vocabulary lists containing assemble
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The Bill of Rights
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Secondly, the mere fact that City were able to assemble a squad far better than their finances should have allowed.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Together, those differences make it easier for RNA molecules to approach one another and assemble as temperatures rise.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
Other workers erect scaffolding for a four-story structure where they will assemble, piece by piece, the giant replica of the pope.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Better yet, assemble a team of allies to protect your interests.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
When Correns completed his experiments and was ready to assemble his paper for publication, he returned to the library to find references to his scientific predecessors.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
But moments after taking off for a double assemblé to the left — a jump in which the legs assemble, or meet in the air — things went terribly wrong.
From New York Times ● Oct. 30, 2022
She loved "le jeu, les visites, les assemblés, les cadeaux, et les promenades, en un mot toutes les choses de plasir," and wished to marry to get free from the trammels of her home.
From Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
A good documentarian assembles snippets and shards to create something that illuminates reality, whereas a good humorist distorts or reframes reality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
They apply where they work or live, the states collect the data and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics assembles the weekly report.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
"Investment that merely expands distribution networks or assembles products using Chinese parts could increase imports and deepen dependence. Approvals should therefore prioritise technology transfer, local value addition, domestic component production and exports from India."
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Gruel demonstrates a knife-sharpening technique, assembles the salad and plates the salmon cakes.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
As daylight turns to evening, Custer assembles his men for one final charge.
From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly
Still, I was curious to test their capabilities, so Pinkerton ushered a robot to my kitchen sink, where I had assembled a small selection of dishes that I deemed expendable.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
The stories assembled here bear out the editors’ appraisal, though, as with all collections, some offerings are better than others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
“Unlike ghost guns assembled from commercially sold unfinished parts, 3D printed ghost guns can be produced from plastic filament using consumer-grade equipment,” the suit said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
Even though these systems are uncommon, the researchers assembled a sample of 21 extreme debris disks.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
The artist arranged it so that the papers, when assembled, depict the fearless leader’s proud, defiant face.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Although it existed during a period when galaxy clusters were still assembling, it already displayed the size and organized structure typically associated with clusters in the modern universe.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Sometimes you want to make a substitution to an order without worrying whether it will get lost between the person wearing the headset and the person assembling your food.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
For example, someone with a financial background could be a good fit for a contractor who needs help assembling project bids.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Billionaire Bill Koch, the 1992 winner, jolted the sport by assembling an all-women’s team to mount a state-of-the-art defense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
The crafts themselves, Soulzeren was assembling in one of the pavilions of the guildhall.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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