Aggregate
/ˈæɡrɪɡət/
nounverbadjectiveB2
Definition
Aggregate is a word used to describe a group or total that is made by joining smaller parts together. As a noun, it is the sum or whole amount. As a verb, it means to collect or bring parts into a whole. As an adjective, it describes something made from many parts combined.
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See It in Action
Noun: A total or whole amount made by combining parts
- •The aggregate of votes from all regions decided the winner.
- •The company’s aggregate revenue increased this year.
- •The aggregate weight of the shipment was over 1000 kilograms.
Verb: To collect or combine parts into a whole
- •The data was aggregated from different sources.
- •They aggregate customer reviews to analyze satisfaction.
- •The system aggregates information to create reports.
Adjective: Formed by combining many elements
- •The aggregate demand for the product rose last quarter.
- •Aggregate scores from both matches determine the champion.
- •The aggregate effect of small changes can be large.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "aggregate" like "total," but it focuses on parts coming together to make that total.
- ✓Picture many small stones being put together to form a big pile or a path.
- ✓It's the feeling when you add many small drops of water to fill a big bucket.
- ✓Sounds like "AG-gre-gate" → imagine gathering (AG) many things to create a big group (gate as a door opening to a big collection).
- ✓Think of a sports team’s aggregate score after two games — you add the points from both games to get the total.
- ✓NOT like "single" (one piece), aggregate is many pieces joined.
- ✓NOT like "scatter" (spread out), aggregate means brought together.
- ✓NOT just "sum" (a number), aggregate often means the physical or conceptual collection of parts.
Try Other Words
- •Total: the whole amount or number (Use when you want to emphasize the final number without focusing on parts)
- •Combine: to join things together (Use when focusing on the action of bringing parts together)
- •Sum: the result of adding numbers (Use in math or when talking about numbers only)
- •Collect: to gather things (Use when focusing on the action of gathering items or information)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: From Latin "aggregare" meaning "to add to a flock or group" (ad- "to" + gregare "to gather, flock")
- •Etymology: Comes from Latin through Old French, originally meaning gathering or grouping things together
- •Historical development: Used since the 15th century in English for collecting parts into a whole, especially in math and economics
- •Modern usage: Common in business, economics, statistics, and general language to describe totals or combined amounts
Reflect & Connect
•How can understanding the idea of "aggregate" help you better understand reports or data in daily life?
•Can you think of situations where looking at the aggregate is more useful than looking at individual parts?
Fill in the blanks
1.The aggregate of all sales ___ the company’s success this year.
2.When you aggregate data, you ___ information from many places into one report.
3.The coach looked at the aggregate score ___ both games to decide the winner.
4.Unlike a single number, the aggregate shows how ___ parts come together.
5.The aggregate demand ___ many customers’ needs added up.
6.To understand the market, you must consider the aggregate ___, not just one product.
7.The system aggregates data ___ to create a full picture of the situation.