Word: aggregate (can be noun, verb, or adjective)

Associations

"Aggregate" means a total or whole made by combining several parts.

As a noun: it means the total amount or sum of things.

• Example 1: "The aggregate of sales this year is higher than last year." This means the total sales combined.
• Example 2: "The aggregate score of the two matches was 3-2." This means the total score from both games.
• Example 3: "The data was collected from an aggregate of sources." This means many sources combined.

As a verb: it means to collect or gather things into a whole.

• Example 1: "We aggregate data from different websites." This means we collect data from many places.
• Example 2: "The company aggregates customer feedback to improve service." This means collecting feedback together.

As an adjective: it describes something formed by combining parts.

• Example 1: "The aggregate demand for the product has increased." This means total demand combined from all customers.
• Example 2: "Aggregate results show a positive trend." This means combined results.

Synonym: "total" or "sum" are close to aggregate as nouns. The difference is that "aggregate" often implies adding many parts together, while "total" is just the final amount. For example, "aggregate score" means scores combined from several games, while "total score" is just the final score.

Substitution

Depending on use:

• As noun: total, sum, amount, whole
• As verb: collect, gather, combine, assemble
• As adjective: combined, total, overall

Changing the word can make the sentence more or less formal. "Aggregate" is more formal and often used in business, science, or statistics.

Deconstruction

The word comes from Latin "aggregare," which means "to add to a flock or herd."

• Prefix "ag-" means "to" or "toward."
• Root "greg-" means "flock" or "group."
• Suffix "-ate" makes it a verb or adjective.

So, aggregate literally means "to bring together into a group."

Inquiry

• Can you think of situations where you combine small parts to make a whole? How would you describe that using "aggregate"?
• How is "aggregate" different from just "total" in your own language or experience?
• When you hear "aggregate data," what do you imagine? Why is aggregation important?