congregate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
congregated; assembled.
-
formed by collecting; collective.
verb
adjective
-
collected together; assembled
-
relating to collecting; collective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
congregativenessnoun
-
congregatornoun
-
decongregateverb
-
congregativeadjective
-
noncongregativeadjective
-
uncongregatedadjective
-
uncongregativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
congregatesimple
-
congregatessimple
-
have congregatedperfect
-
has congregatedperfect
-
am congregatingprogressive
-
are congregatingprogressive
-
is congregatingprogressive
-
have been congregatingperfect progressive
-
has been congregatingperfect progressive
Past
-
congregatedsimple
-
had congregatedperfect
-
was congregatingprogressive
-
were congregatingprogressive
-
had been congregatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of congregate
1350–1400; Middle English (adj.) < Latin congregātus (past participle of congregāre to flock together), equivalent to con- con- + greg- (stem of grex ) flock + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
Congregate is a verb that means to come together, to assemble, or to gather. At school dances, you may congregate with your friends, because you get nervous in front of kids you don't know very well. Congregate comes from Latin root words com, meaning "together" and gregare, meaning "to gather in a flock." Congregation, or a gathering or assembly, comes from the same roots, as does gregarious, an adjective describing someone who likes to gather with others to socialize. If you remember the key word is flock — what ministers often call their congregations — you should have no trouble remembering congregate means to flock together.
Vocabulary lists containing congregate
Power Prefix: con-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Esperanza Rising
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Old Man and the Sea
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
One lesson of the pandemic was that hotels and motels mobilized to house the unsheltered were successful in bringing people indoors who were otherwise reluctant to stay in congregate shelters or withstand involuntary hospitalizations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Each competing country has a dedicated coffee house in the city for fans to congregate at.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
Tiffany Crear said she walked out from a South L.A. congregate shelter about nine months ago.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Discord has soared in popularity in recent years, mainly as a place for online gamers, some of whom stream their gaming activities on other platforms like Twitch, to congregate, often anonymously.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
There were long, dark alleyways between the historical buildings, hidden paths, secret entrances, and a few unsavory occult shops where only the most mysterious villagers seemed to congregate.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
