congregate

[ verb kong-gri-geyt; adjective kong-gri-git, -geyt ]

/ verb ˈkɒŋ grɪˌgeɪt; adjective ˈkɒŋ grɪ gɪt, -ˌgeɪt /

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See synonyms for: congregate / congregated on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), con·gre·gat·ed, con·gre·gat·ing.

to come together; assemble, especially in large numbers: People waiting for rooms congregated in the hotel lobby.

verb (used with object), con·gre·gat·ed, con·gre·gat·ing.

to bring together in a crowd, body, or mass; assemble; collect.

adjective

congregated; assembled.

formed by collecting; collective.

OTHER WORDS FOR congregate

1 gather, collect, throng, cluster.

See synonyms for congregate on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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-ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM congregate

con·gre·ga·tive, adjectivecon·gre·ga·tive·ness, nouncon·gre·ga·tor, nounde·con·gre·gate, verb, de·con·gre·gat·ed, de·con·gre·gat·ing.

non·con·gre·ga·tive, adjectiveun·con·gre·gat·ed, adjectiveun·con·gre·ga·tive, adjective

Words nearby congregate

congratulate, congratulation, congratulations, congratulatory, congregant, congregate, congregate housing, congregation, congregational, Congregational Church, congregationalism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use congregate in a sentence

The study recommended that airports work with qualified HVAC engineers to determine how they can augment current systems, particularly in areas where travelers tend to congregate.
Airports have taken steps to reduce coronavirus transmission but risks still remain, study says|Lori Aratani|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
The coronavirus has been particularly virulent in places where people congregate — churches, nursing homes, prisons, close-quarters work environments and the like.
Researchers identify social factors inoculating some communities against coronavirus|Christopher Ingraham|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
“It’s unwise to bring disparate people together in a congregate setting during the time of the pandemic, and the Super Bowl is no exception to that,” says John Swartzberg, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, Berkeley.
Even at half capacity, the Super Bowl could cause COVID-19 outbreaks|Kate Baggaley|February 5, 2021|Popular-Science
Galaxies congregate in superclusters on scales vastly greater than anything experts had considered before the 20th century.
Einstein’s theory of general relativity unveiled a dynamic and bizarre cosmos|Elizabeth Quill|February 3, 2021|Science News

The meeting usually would have taken place in the Gertrude-Lafrance cafeteria, but by the spring it had become part of the Quebec medical facility’s red zone, making it an unsafe place to congregate.
His team is going to the Super Bowl. He’s staying on the coronavirus front lines.|Adam Kilgore|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
A few children, settler children, congregate near what appears to have been the bus station.
Inside Hebron, Israel’s Heart of Darkness|Michael Tomasky|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
During the Iranian iteration, one event allowed customers to congregate with a local dining in Iran.
Eating With The Enemy: Conflict Kitchen’s Political Cuisine|Justin Jones|July 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An NYPD official says an AP reporter called to ask where people of Chechen descent might congregate in New York City.
NYPD on the Real ‘Enemies Within’: Going Undercover With Jihadis|Michael Daly|September 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The whole point of a bohemia is that people congregate in a relatively well-defined area.
Literary City: Jay McInerney’s New York|Henry Krempels|January 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Yet in the film, the dwarves, hobbit and wizard all congregate to a single tree that remains untouched by the fire.
‘The Hobbit’: 19 Changes from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Novel to Peter Jackson’s Movie|Anna Klassen|December 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Patriots were inclined to congregate about the Lion d'Or and to ask awkward questions.
The Light That Lures|Percy Brebner
At its upper end, below my windows, all the cats of the neighbourhood congregate as soon as darkness gathers.
Masterpieces of Mystery, Vol. 1 (of 4)|Various
There was no help for it, and men and women had to congregate in these barns together.
Auld Licht Idylls|J. M. Barrie
The trouble was in the outfield—where the trouble in such contests are sure to congregate.
The Varmint|Owen Johnson
The term is now used loosely of any locality in a city or country where Jews congregate.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 8|Various

British Dictionary definitions for congregate

congregate

verb (ˈkɒŋɡrɪˌɡeɪt)

to collect together in a body or crowd; assemble

adjective (ˈkɒŋɡrɪɡɪt, -ˌɡeɪt)

collected together; assembled

relating to collecting; collective

Derived forms of congregate

congregative, adjectivecongregativeness, nouncongregator, noun

Word Origin for congregate

C15: from Latin congregāre to collect into a flock, from grex flock

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

congregate

OTHER WORDS FOR congregate

Origin of congregate

OTHER WORDS FROM congregate

Words nearby congregate

Words related to congregate

How to use congregate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for congregate

Derived forms of congregate

Word Origin for congregate