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
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-
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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.
"The real experience comes when we can influence a community to congregate in a strange, dark space," Spielberg said.
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
Mullen said she is "constantly worried", fearing that rats will get into her home, and said she dreads every time she has to take the bins out as rats congregate nearby.
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026
Folks congregate in a barber shop called The Frill Is Gone.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
Residents of Pacific Palisades have had little chance to congregate since the Palisades fire ripped through their community in January.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2025
I was vaguely aware of a mechanical voice instructing people to congregate in yellow zones.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
