congregate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
adjective
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congregated; assembled.
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formed by collecting; collective.
verb
adjective
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collected together; assembled
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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
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congregatedsimple
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had congregatedperfect
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was congregatingprogressive
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were congregatingprogressive
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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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The Old Man and the Sea
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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:
Feathers float over lawns and white goo covers areas where the birds congregate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
While Celtic fans traditionally congregate in the Trongate and Merchant City, Rangers fans assembled in huge numbers in George Square when the Ibrox side last won the title in 2021.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Each competing country has a dedicated coffee house in the city for fans to congregate at.
From Barron's ● May 12, 2026
"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
At night, more often than not, they would congregate in the dark beyond her window and laugh about her.
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
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
They form when water vapor congregates around specks of meteor dust floating in the mesosphere and freezes, forming ice crystals.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 2, 2022
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
It’s not easy to get to Westwood or Palos Verdes for the larger Memorial Day ceremonies, she said, “so everyone congregates here.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2019
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
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
But even with these measures, the unrelenting sun continues to bake the white marble surrounding the grounds of the Grand Mosque where most pilgrims have congregated in recent days.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
A bar was set up in the back for spectators to grab drinks—performers congregated there after their sets to chat with bookers and agents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
But, it was her parents Bernie and Noel's home where the family usually congregated and where she would regularly see brothers Niall, Declan and Brendan.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026
Rather, he was playing speed chess at a side table with several of the young masters, who congregated around him.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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
In recent years, attendance has varied widely from day to day, with employees congregating midweek and often working remotely on either side of the weekend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
The baby-faced 21-year-old Alt is still getting teased by teammates about media members congregating at his locker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2024
Later, Mr Sarkar’s father, who had locked in the family, saw a small crowd congregating outside their iron gate.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2024
If it was one of the warm summer evenings, there would still be groups congregating, just without the fire.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
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.
