consolidation

American  

[kuhn-sol-i-dey-shuhn] / kənˌsɒl ɪˈdeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of combining or consolidating into a single or unified whole; the state of being consolidated; unification.

   Our CEO proposed the consolidation of several departments and the elimination of 10 positions.

2. solidification; strengthening.

   consolidation of principles and beliefs.

3. something resulting from a unification of two or more elements; a consolidated whole.

4. Law. the union of two or more claims or actions at law for trial or appeal.

5. Finance. debt consolidation.

6. Business, Finance.

   1. the combining of several financial accounts into a single one, as when the financial results from two or more businesses are combined into a single statement.

   2. a statutory combination of two or more corporations.

7. Pathology. the process of becoming solid, as the changing of lung tissue from aerated and elastic to firm in certain diseases.

8. Geology. lithification.

9. Physiology. the process by which the brain forms stable, long-lasting memories.

10. Railroads: Now Rare. Consolidation, a steam locomotive having a two-wheeled front truck, eight driving wheels, and no rear truck.

---

consolidation British  

/ kənˌsɒlɪˈdeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of consolidating or state of being consolidated

2. something that is consolidated or integrated

3. law

   1. the combining of two or more actions at law

   2. the combination of a number of Acts of Parliament into one codifying statute

4. geology the process, including compression and cementation, by which a loose deposit is transformed into a hard rock

5. psychol the process in the brain that makes the memory for an event enduring; the process is thought to continue for some time after the event

---

Other Word Forms

• consolidative adjective
• nonconsolidation noun
• preconsolidation noun
• proconsolidation adjective
• reconsolidation noun
• unconsolidation noun

Etymology

Origin of consolidation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English consolidacioun “healing by closing up, knitting of bones,” from Late Latin consolidātiōn- (stem of consolidātiō ) “merging of usufruct in property, establishing of ownership, consolidation”; see consolidate -ion

Explanation

In a tough economy, you see a lot of consolidation. This could be smaller businesses joining together or the consolidation of debt, as in combining three credit card payments into one. Anywhere there’s consolidation, there’s merging, joining, and combining. You can see the word solid at the heart of consolidation, and its Latin roots will tell you that it means “to make solid together.” The goal of consolidation is really just that, to combine things in order to make them stronger or more beneficial. If you’re good at art and your friend is good at science, you may want to form a consolidation to take the science fair by storm.

Example Sentences

Until the futures can break out above $103, the current trading behavior appears to technically remain in a consolidation phase, and a pullback to the lower end of the recent range looks likely.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Li said the pressure from competition would make consolidation inevitable.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Tight nitrile butadiene rubber supply and stricter supplier terms are expected to drive industry consolidation, favoring larger players, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Opponents fear the consolidation would be lead to massive layoffs and diminish the quality of programming that Warner Bros.,

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Similarly, America's emergence as the dominant world power in the 1940s could never have occurred if the United States had not established stable national institutions at the start that permitted the consolidation of the continent.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• merger
• strengthening
• unification