congregate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
congregates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
congregated,
past participle, past
-
congregating
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
congregates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
congregated,
past participle, past
-
congregating
present participle
adjective
-
congregated; assembled.
-
formed by collecting; collective.
verb
adjective
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collected together; assembled
-
relating to collecting; collective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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congregativenessnoun
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congregatornoun
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decongregateverb
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congregativeadjective
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noncongregativeadjective
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uncongregatedadjective
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uncongregativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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congregatesimple
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congregatessimple
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have congregatedperfect
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has congregatedperfect
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am congregatingprogressive
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are congregatingprogressive
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is congregatingprogressive
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have been congregatingperfect progressive
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has been congregatingperfect progressive
Past
-
congregatedsimple
-
had congregatedperfect
-
was congregatingprogressive
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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-
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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:
Large numbers congregate along the Palm Beach County coast each winter, while smaller groups can be found there throughout the year.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
At the Duke of Wellington, Ryan McDowell, 33, a bartender who lives above the establishment, estimates about 60 customers congregate outside on a busy night.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
"They know where the species congregate and where the nursery grounds are."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Crawlspace LA, which closed in February, similarly started as a space for dancers to congregate and experiment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
I was vaguely aware of a mechanical voice instructing people to congregate in yellow zones.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Teams that sign free agents or make blockbuster trades during the few days everyone of importance in the MLB universe congregates under one luxury hotel roof get out-sized applause for their moves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2024
Instead, this 21st Century fanbase congregates more politely on TikTok, Instagram and X, where the hashtag that brings fans, Liam memes, and Bonehead jokes together, is #oasistwt.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2024
In many parts of the deepest ocean, life congregates around seeps—vents in the sea floor where gasses leak out from Earth’s innards and fuel microbial growth, attracting communities of deep-sea invertebrates.
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 8, 2022
The team congregates on Slack, an online messaging app, to coordinate work, as well as to offer support and ensure “self-care,” as Miller put it.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 1, 2020
The day's last flock of gray birds congregates above the seedheads of spent wildflowers and launches across the yellow green into a slate-blue sky.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
As the top stars congregated in New York for last year's US Open, Arthur Fery was looking in from the outside.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
On a sunny weekend in early May, hundreds congregated at Raw Farm for its annual Camping With the Cows event.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
On Saturday, 500,000 mostly young attendees congregated with Leo outside Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium for a prayer vigil that stretched into the night.
From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026
Lemon pleaded not guilty to the charges at his February arraignment, as people congregated outside the courthouse to protest the case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
I scarcely slept; I was wherever musicians congregated.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
So to discourage them from congregating, simply provide less food.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
Authorities in Mexico City say they will again erect screens along the Paseo de la Reforma, the capital’s iconic thoroughfare, but will space them out to keep crowds from congregating at a single point.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
So when he heard on social media that Germans were congregating in Times Square, Altmeks readily pulled on a jersey of his hero Rudi Voller -- plus a wig mimicking the famed striker's blond curls.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
“There are so many people walking their kids to maybe 15 different schools. And then they’re all congregating at Ralph’s afterwards. Schools start at 8, and it opens at 8.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025
A few other people are jumping down from the landing, congregating behind the first three strangers.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
