congregate

1 of 2

verb

con·​gre·​gate ˈkäŋ-gri-ˌgāt 

congregated; congregating

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 

noun

congregate

2 of 2

adjective

con·​gre·​gate ˈkäŋ-gri-gət 

: providing or being group services or facilities designed especially for elderly persons requiring supportive services

congregate housing

Synonyms

Verb

• gather
• collect
• assemble
• amass
• accumulate

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

Verb

This past January, a few dozen young men in hoodies and baggy jeans congregated outside a coffee shop in Tempe, Arizona, to mourn the death of a twenty-seven-year-old man named Nautica Malone. —Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

Colfax used to be a dusty western stretch, too, with Barber researching stories of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterton and Doc Holiday congregating at Colfax Avenue and Broadway, and Masterson getting run out of a town by a rival. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025

Adjective

At the meeting, city leaders expressed support for scaling back its congregate homeless facilities and instead focusing on micro-communities. —Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025

For those who lack Roberson’s institutional experience, particularly people with fragile mental health, drug addiction, or both, congregate city shelters can be frightening and dangerous. —Jennifer Egan, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023

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

Rhymes for congregate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

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