aggregate

1 of 3

adjective

ag·​gre·​gate ˈa-gri-gət 

: formed by the collection of units or particles into a body, mass, or amount : collective: such as

a(1)

: clustered in a dense mass or head

an aggregate flower

(2)

: formed from several separate ovaries of a single flower

aggregate fruit

b

: composed of mineral crystals of one or more kinds or of mineral rock fragments

c

: taking all units as a whole

aggregate sales

aggregately adverb

aggregateness noun

aggregate

2 of 3

verb

ag·​gre·​gate ˈa-gri-ˌgāt 

aggregated; aggregating

transitive verb

1

: to collect or gather into a mass or whole

The census data were aggregated by gender.

2

: to amount to (a whole sum or total) : total

audiences aggregating several million people

aggregate

3 of 3

noun

ag·​gre·​gate ˈa-gri-gət 

1

: a mass or body of units or parts somewhat loosely associated with one another

Froth is an aggregate of tiny bubbles.

2

: the whole sum or amount : sum total

spent an aggregate of 10 million dollars in advertising during the past three years

3

a

: a rock composed of mineral crystals of one or more kinds or of mineral rock fragments : an aggregate rock

b

: any of several hard inert materials (such as sand, gravel, or slag) used for mixing with a cementing material to form concrete, mortar, or plaster

c

: a clustered mass of individual soil particles varied in shape, ranging in size from a microscopic granule to a small crumb, and considered the basic structural unit of soil

4

: set sense 21

5

: monetary aggregate

Phrases

in the aggregate

: considered as a whole : collectively

Dividends for the year amounted in the aggregate to 25 million dollars.

Did you know?

We added aggregate to our flock of Latin borrowings in the 15th century. It descends from aggregāre ("to cause to flock together" or "to join together"), a Latin verb made up of the prefix ad- (which means "to," and which usually changes to ag- before a g) and greg- or grex (meaning "flock, herd, or group"). Greg- also gave us congregate, gregarious, and segregate. Aggregate is commonly employed in the phrase "in the aggregate," which means "considered as a whole." Aggregate also has some specialized senses. For example, it is used to describe a mass of minerals formed into a rock, and materials like sand or gravel that are used to form concrete, mortar, or plaster.

Synonyms

Verb

• add up (to)
• amount (to)
• come (to)
• count (up to)
• number
• sum (to or into)
• total

Noun

• full
• sum
• sum total
• summation
• total
• totality
• whole

Examples of aggregate in a Sentence

Adjective

There were to be thirty-seven playgrounds, twenty schools. There were to be a hundred and thirty-three miles of street, paved with an inch and a half of No. 2 macadam on an aggregate base. —Joan Didion, New Yorker, 26 July 1993

Their success at opening up new sources of supply, generating and servicing demand, and connecting new markets with the processing industries of the Amsterdam entrepôt seemed … to belie the axiom of an inelastic aggregate volume of world trade—a zero-sum competition. —Simon Schama, The Embarrassment of Riches, 1988

The mulberry looks a bit like a raspberry. But the raspberry (along with the other brambles, members of the genus Rubus, such as the blackberry) is an aggregate fruit generated by a single, if complex, flower. —Raymond Sokolov, Natural History, October 1986

With Keynes, standard theory conceded that disequilibria might intrude upon the economy as a whole, but it held that these could be remedied by judicious stabilization of aggregate demand—that is, combined government and consumer purchasing power. —Robert Kuttner, Atlantic, February 1985

The university receives more than half its aggregate income from government sources.

The team with the highest aggregate score wins.

Verb

The problem, in this case, is that the synergy creates incentives for segregation. Ethnic advertisers scour the TV schedule for shows and channels that "aggregate" viewers of the type the client wants to reach … —Tamar Jacoby, New Republic, 24 Jan. 2000

"We are good at aggregating eyeballs and delivering services," says Barry Schuler, the president of AOL Interactive Services, "and the Time Warner deal is a natural extension of that." —Barry Schuler, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2000

Pollsters, for the most part, know perfectly well what they are doing. One thing they are doing is aggregating and averaging ephemeral spasms of "mood" that may have commercial or political value. —Christopher Hitchens, Harper's, April 1992

… covered only if each of the corporations involved has capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating more than $10 million … —Joe Sims et al., National Law Journal, 28 Jan. 1991

The website aggregates content from many other sites.

over time, her petty thefts aggregated a significant shortfall in the company's books

Noun

In particular, a core of popular politically minded blogs known in the aggregate as the Blogosphere has been a beehive of furious activity. Or should I say a wasp's nest? —Steven Levy, Newsweek, 4 Oct. 2004

It's true that our lives are the aggregate of a lot of little things, that's precisely why, at least once a year, we need to ride the wave of something bigger and bolder than our own little humdrum existence. —Will Manley, Booklist, 1 Sept. 2002

Smallness of enterprises, as in the Japanese bicycle-manufacturing development, is an asset because smallness cuts down administrative and other overhead costs both in individual enterprises and in the aggregate, in comparison with the overhead costs of large operations. —Jane Jacobs, Cities and the Wealth of Nations, (1984) 1985

numerous episodes of pilferage, taken in the aggregate, can really add up to a significant sum

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

After all, improvements in material handling could imply that aggregate economic demand is improving. —Jason Schenker, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

Policy limits: General liability insurance policies have a per-occurrence limit and an aggregate limit (the maximum your insurer will pay per policy period). —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 28 Nov. 2024

Verb

The Celtics aggregated Smart ($18.8 million), Danilo Gallinari ($6.8 million), Mike Muscala ($3.5 million) and Julian Phillips ($1.6 million) in the three-team deal to acquire him. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Whale sharks tend to aggregate in the Gulf of California from October to May, in relation to plankton blooms. —Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024

Noun

Healthy pulp is covered with a protective material like calcium hydroxide or mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). —Laura Schober, Health, 1 Dec. 2024

Availability: All 50 U.S. states Maximum liability limit: $4 million aggregate Online claims: Yes A.M. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English aggregat, borrowed from Latin aggregātus, past participle of aggregāre "to cause to flock together, join, include, lump together," from ad- ad- + -gregāre, verbal derivative of greg-, grex "flock, herd, group" — more at gregarious

Verb

Middle English aggregaten, borrowed from Latin aggregātus, past participle of aggregāre "to cause to flock together, join" — more at aggregate entry 1

Noun

Middle English aggregat, borrowed from Medieval Latin aggregātus, noun derivative of Latin aggregātus, past participle of aggregāre "to cause to flock together, join" — more at aggregate entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aggregate

• in the aggregate
• monetary aggregate
• on aggregate

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Kids Definition

aggregate

1 of 3 adjective

ag·​gre·​gate ˈag-ri-gət 

1

: formed by the collection of units or particles into one mass or sum

aggregate expenses

2

: clustered in a dense mass or head

an aggregate flower

aggregate

2 of 3 verb

ag·​gre·​gate ˈag-ri-ˌgāt 

aggregated; aggregating

1

: to collect or gather into a mass or whole

2

: to amount to as a whole : total

aggregate

3 of 3 noun

ag·​gre·​gate ˈag-ri-gət 

1

: a collection or sum of units or parts

2

a

: a hard material (as sand or gravel) used especially in making concrete

b

: a clustered mass of individual soil particles considered the basic structural unit of soil

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English aggregat "made up of a collection," derived from Latin aggregare "to cause to join together," from ag-, ad- "to, toward" and greg-, grex "flock, herd" — related to congregate, segregate

Medical Definition

aggregate

1 of 3 adjective

ag·​gre·​gate ˈag-ri-gət 

: formed by the collection of units or particles into a body, mass, or amount

aggregation

ˌag-ri-ˈgā-shən 

noun

It is now known that these calcifications represent focal aggregations of calcium hydroxyapatite …

—Medical Radiography & Photography

aggregate

2 of 3 transitive verb

ag·​gre·​gate -ˌgāt 

aggregated; aggregating

: to collect or gather into a mass or whole

aggregated human albumin

aggregate

3 of 3 noun

ag·​gre·​gate -gət 

: a mass or body of units or parts somewhat loosely associated with one another

Legal Definition

aggregate

1 of 3 adjective

ag·​gre·​gate ˈa-grə-gət 

: taken as a total

aggregate liability

aggregate

2 of 3 verb

ag·​gre·​gate ˈa-grə-ˌgāt 

aggregated; aggregating

transitive verb

1

: to combine or gather into a whole

class members may aggregate their individual claims

compare join

2

: to amount to

an award aggregating $100,000

intransitive verb

: to form an aggregate

they may not aggregate if their claims are regarded as “separate and distinct”

—J. M. Landers et al.

aggregate

3 of 3 noun

ag·​gre·​gate ˈa-grə-gət 

1

: total amount

may sue in federal court if the aggregate of the claims exceeds $75,000

2

: a whole made up of individual units

the aggregate of operative facts