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Synonyms

congregate

American  
[kong-gri-geyt, kong-gri-git, -geyt] / ˈkɒŋ grɪˌgeɪt, ˈkɒŋ grɪ gɪt, -ˌgeɪt /

verb (used without object)

congregated, congregating

  1. to come together; assemble, especially in large numbers.

    People waiting for rooms congregated in the hotel lobby.
    Synonyms:
    cluster, throng, collect, gather

verb (used with object)

congregated, congregating

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

adjective

  1. congregated; assembled.

  2. formed by collecting; collective.

congregate British  

verb

  1. to collect together in a body or crowd; assemble

"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

adjective

  1. collected together; assembled

  2. relating to collecting; collective

"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

Other Word Forms

  • congregative adjective
  • congregativeness noun
  • congregator noun
  • decongregate verb
  • noncongregative adjective
  • uncongregated adjective
  • uncongregative adjective

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

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

With only a handful of halfpipes in the world, the best snowboarders congregate for month-long training sessions, but scatter back to their homes to reset between the camps.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 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

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.