consolidate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bring together (separate parts) into a single or unified whole; unite; combine.
They consolidated their three companies.
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to discard the unused or unwanted items of and organize the remaining.
She consolidated her home library.
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to make solid or firm; solidify; strengthen.
to consolidate gains.
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Military. to strengthen by rearranging the position of ground combat troops after a successful attack.
verb (used without object)
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to unite or combine.
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to become solid or firm.
adjective
verb
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to form or cause to form into a solid mass or whole; unite or be united
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to make or become stronger or more stable
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military to strengthen or improve one's control over (a situation, force, newly captured area, etc)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of consolidate
First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin consolidātus “made solid,” past participle of consolidāre “to make solid,” equivalent to con- + solid + -ate 1
Explanation
Consolidate means to bring together. If you consolidate student loans, you put them all together into one big loan. If you consolidate your childhood toys, you grab them all up and put them in one place. Preferably a toy box. Consolidate comes from the Latin roots com- ("together") and solidare ("to make solid"). So, consolidate is to bring things together to make something solid, stronger, or easier to handle. A general might consolidate his troops, a librarian might consolidate his grammar books, and someone with credit-card debt might consolidate the debt from different cards onto one.
Vocabulary lists containing consolidate
Hamilton
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The Hunger Games
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100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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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 company will consolidate U.S. chassis manufacturing at its Hamilton, Ohio, site, which will be developed and see staffing numbers strengthened.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
A lot of people consolidate their retirement savings at one firm.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
AI is pushing customers to consolidate communication channels onto a single platform.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
Gerwyn Price struggled in his quarter-final against Stephen Bunting but rallied to win and pick up two points that consolidate his place in third.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
Castro oversaw the defense of the Bay of Pigs personally, and, far from threatening his hold on Cuba, the botched invasion helped consolidate his power.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
