congregate

1 of 2

verb

con·​gre·​gate ˈkäŋ-gri-ˌgāt How to pronounce congregate (audio)
congregated; congregating
Synonyms of congregate

transitive verb

: to collect into a group or crowd : assemble
The king congregated his knights.

intransitive verb

: to come together into a group, crowd, or assembly
Students congregated in the auditorium.
congregator
ˈkäŋ-gri-ˌgā-tər How to pronounce congregate (audio)
noun

congregate

2 of 2

adjective

con·​gre·​gate ˈkäŋ-gri-gət How to pronounce congregate (audio)
: providing or being group services or facilities designed especially for elderly persons requiring supportive services
congregate housing

Synonyms of congregate

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for congregate

gather, collect, assemble, congregate mean to come or bring together into a group, mass, or unit.

gather is the most general term for bringing or coming together from a spread-out or scattered state.

a crowd quickly gathered

collect often implies careful selection or orderly arrangement.

collected books on gardening

assemble implies an ordered union or organization of persons or things often for a definite purpose.

experts assembled for a conference

congregate implies a spontaneous flocking together into a crowd or huddle.

congregating under a shelter

Examples of congregate in a Sentence

Verb It's a place where the homeless congregate. Skiers congregated around the lodge's fireplace.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Travelers can swim with whale sharks in seasonal gathering spots where the gentle filter feeders congregate around abundant plankton, creating incredible opportunities for snorkeling and diving. — Ashley Lynch july 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 Anglers often congregate at Eagle Point Fishing Camp, where the bay’s crosscurrents attract redfish, speckled trout, flounder, and more. — Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 29 July 2026
Adjective
She's also been a champion for ending summer hunger through the Summer EBT program and rural non-congregate summer meals. — Arkansas Online, 10 July 2026 The non-congregate shelter in Laurel will act as overflow for this shelter as well. — Dennis Valera, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for congregate

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Adjective

Middle English, from Latin congregatus, past participle of congregare, from com- + greg-, grex flock

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adjective

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of congregate was in the 15th century

Rhymes for congregate

See All Rhymes for congregate

Browse Nearby Words

congregant
congregate
congregation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Congregate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congregate. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

congregate

verb
con·​gre·​gate
ˈkäŋ-gri-ˌgāt
congregated; congregating
: to come together into a group or crowd
congregator
-ˌgāt-ər
noun
Etymology

Verb

Middle English congregaten "to collect or assemble together," derived from Latin congregare "to assemble, gather," from con-, com- "with, together" and gregare "to gather into a flock or herd," from greg-, grex "flock, herd" — related to aggregate, gregarious, segregate

More from Merriam-Webster on congregate

Nglish: Translation of congregate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All