conglomerate

1 of 3

adjective

con·​glom·​er·​ate kən-ˈgläm-rət How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
-ˈglä-mə-
: made up of parts from various sources or of various kinds
the conglomerate peoples of New England
a conglomerate empire

conglomerate

2 of 3

verb

con·​glom·​er·​ate kən-ˈglä-mə-ˌrāt How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
conglomerated; conglomerating

intransitive verb

: to gather into a mass or coherent whole
Infinite numbers of dull people conglomerated round her …Virginia Woolf
conglomerative
kən-ˈgläm-rə-tiv How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
-ˈglä-mə-;
-mə-ˌrā-
adjective
conglomerator noun

conglomerate

3 of 3

noun

con·​glom·​er·​ate kən-ˈgläm-rət How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
-ˈglä-mə-
1
: a composite mass or mixture
especially : rock composed of rounded fragments varying from small pebbles to large boulders in a cement (as of hardened clay)
2
: a widely diversified corporation
an international conglomerate of some 350 businesses
conglomeratic adjective

Examples of conglomerate in a Sentence

Verb people conglomerated in the downtown streets for an impromptu victory celebration over the years the town's discarded junk conglomerated at the bottom of the river Noun a news and entertainment conglomerate Our small company must compete with the big conglomerates.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
As its rivals increasingly conglomerate to exert pressure against it, the West is often forced to ignore the flaws of its allies. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 In September Curiosity found an outcrop of conglomerate rock, pebbles and gravel bound together by wet sediment. Discover Magazine, 11 Dec. 2012
Verb
Nvidia’s value chain extends to South Korea, namely, memory chip maker SK Hynix and conglomerate Samsung Electronics. Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024 Hitachi Also on Goldman’s list is conglomerate Hitachi which operates in industries ranging from power and renewable energy to railway services and healthcare products. Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2024
Noun
Robinsons Land is the property arm of JG Summit, a Philippine conglomerate founded by the late tycoon John Gokongwei in 1954 as a corn starch manufacturer. Ian Sayson, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 Deutsche Bank is striking a cautious tone on Dover ‘s stock ahead of the industrial conglomerate’s upcoming earnings report. Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for conglomerate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conglomerate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin conglomeratus, past participle of conglomerare to roll together, from com- + glomerare to wind into a ball, from glomer-, glomus ball — more at clam

First Known Use

Adjective

1572, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1642, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conglomerate was in 1572

Dictionary Entries Near conglomerate

Cite this Entry

“Conglomerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conglomerate. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

conglomerate

1 of 3 adjective
con·​glom·​er·​ate kən-ˈgläm-(ə-)rət How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
: made up of parts from various sources or of various kinds

conglomerate

2 of 3 verb
con·​glom·​er·​ate kən-ˈgläm-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
conglomerated; conglomerating
: to collect or form into a mass
conglomeration
-ˌgläm-ə-ˈrā-shən
kän-
noun

conglomerate

3 of 3 noun
con·​glom·​er·​ate kən-ˈgläm-(ə-)rət How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
1
: a composite mass or mixture
especially : rock made up of rounded pieces varying from small pebbles to large boulders in a cement (as of hardened clay)
2
: a corporation engaging in many different kinds of business

Medical Definition

conglomerate

1 of 3 adjective
con·​glom·​er·​ate kən-ˈgläm-(ə-)rət How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
: made up of parts from various sources or of various kinds

conglomerate

2 of 3 verb
con·​glom·​er·​ate -ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
conglomerated; conglomerating

transitive verb

: to gather (something) into a mass or coherent whole

intransitive verb

: to gather into a mass or coherent whole
conglomerative adjective

conglomerate

3 of 3 noun
con·​glom·​er·​ate -(ə-)rət How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
: a composite mass or mixture

Legal Definition

conglomerate

noun
con·​glom·​er·​ate kən-ˈglä-mə-rət How to pronounce conglomerate (audio)
: a widely diversified company
especially : a corporation that acquires other companies whose activities are unrelated to the corporation's primary activity

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