amalgamate

verb

amal·​gam·​ate ə-ˈmal-gə-ˌmāt 

amalgamated; amalgamating

transitive verb

: to unite in or as if in an amalgam

especially : to merge into a single body

They amalgamated the hospital with the university.

amalgamator

ə-ˈmal-gə-ˌmā-tər 

noun

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Amalgamate Can Be Used Technically and Generally

Today, one can amalgamate—that is, combine into one—any two (or more) things, such as hip-hop and country music, for example. The origins of amalgamate, however, have more to do with heavy metal. Amalgamate comes from the Medieval Latin verb amalgamāre, meaning "to combine (a metal) with mercury." It’s been part of English since the 1500s, its introduction closely trailing that of the noun amalgam (from the Medieval Latin amalgama), which in its oldest use means "a mixture of mercury and another metal." (In modern dentistry, amalgams combining liquid mercury with powders containing silver, tin, and other metals are often used for filling holes in teeth). Amalgamate can be used either technically, implying the creation of an alloy of mercury, or more generally for the formation of any compound or combined entity.

Synonyms

• blend
• combine
• comingle
• commingle
• commix
• composite
• concrete
• conflate
• fuse
• homogenize
• immingle
• immix
• incorporate
• integrate
• interfuse
• intermingle
• intermix
• meld
• merge
• mingle
• mix

Choose the Right Synonym for amalgamate

mix, mingle, commingle, blend, merge, coalesce, amalgamate, fuse mean to combine into a more or less uniform whole.

mix may or may not imply loss of each element's identity.

mix the salad greens

mix a drink

mingle usually suggests that the elements are still somewhat distinguishable or separately active.

fear mingled with anticipation in my mind

commingle implies a closer or more thorough mingling.

a sense of duty commingled with a fierce pride drove her

blend implies that the elements as such disappear in the resulting mixture.

blended several teas to create a balanced flavor

merge suggests a combining in which one or more elements are lost in the whole.

in his mind reality and fantasy merged

coalesce implies an affinity in the merging elements and usually a resulting organic unity.

telling details that coalesce into a striking portrait

amalgamate implies the forming of a close union without complete loss of individual identities.

refugees who were readily amalgamated into the community

fuse stresses oneness and indissolubility of the resulting product.

a building in which modernism and classicism are fused

Examples of amalgamate in a Sentence

amalgamating different styles of music

They amalgamated the hospital and the university.

Recent Examples on the Web

The album amalgamates this twilight mood into a cohesive, moody, sometimes melancholic, often achingly pretty 34 minutes of music. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2024

Since the coming of Thriller, Michael Jackson took on the task of amalgamating his music videos with cinematic vignettes, as evidenced in works that followed the record-breaking film. —Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

But out of challenges came creative solutions, like amalgamating five different warehouses to create the massive fulfilment centre Aurora works in. —Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 6 Sep. 2024

One promising way to amalgamate this kind of data is through the establishment of a national Bureau of Cyber Statistics. —Raj M. Shah, Foreign Affairs, 13 Jan. 2022

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin amalgamātus, past participle of amalgamāre "to combine (a metal) with mercury," verbal derivative of amalgama amalgam

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

amalgamate

verb

amal·​gam·​ate ə-ˈmal-gə-ˌmāt 

amalgamated; amalgamating

1

: to unite in an amalgam

2

: to combine into a single body : merge

Medical Definition

amalgamate

transitive verb

amal·​gam·​ate ə-ˈmal-gə-ˌmāt 

amalgamated; amalgamating

: to unite in or as if in an amalgam

especially : to merge into a single body

amalgamation

-ˌmal-gə-ˈmā-shən 

noun

amalgamator

-ˈmal-gə-ˌmāt-ər 

noun