What does aggregate mean?
Aggregate refers to a sum or mass made up of many distinct parts considered together as one whole. As a noun, it can describe anything from the combined score of two football matches to the total of many individual figures; in building and engineering it has a specialized sense, denoting the sand, gravel, or crushed stone mixed with cement to form concrete. As a verb, to aggregate is to gather separate items into a single collection or total, a usage especially common in statistics, economics, and computing, where data from many sources is aggregated for analysis. As an adjective, it describes something regarded in its totality, as in 'aggregate demand'. The word carries a neutral, often formal or technical tone, and the phrase 'in the aggregate' is a well-established way of signaling that individual details matter less than the overall picture. Its Latin root, meaning 'flock' or 'herd', hints at its core idea: many individuals forming one body.
A total or combined mass of separate parts considered as a single whole; also, granular material such as sand or gravel used in making concrete.
"The team's aggregate over the two legs was enough to win the tie."
Pronounced /ˈæɡrɪɡət/, with stress on the first syllable.
To collect or combine separate items, figures, or groups into a single total or mass.
"The platform aggregates news stories from hundreds of publishers."
Pronounced /ˈæɡrɪɡeɪt/, with stress on the first syllable but a long final vowel.
Forming or relating to a total considered as a whole rather than as individual parts.
"Aggregate household debt rose sharply last year."
The plural is standard when referring to multiple totals or collections, or to batches of construction material.
"The report compared spending aggregates across all five regions."
The same Latin root that gives us 'aggregate' also gives us 'egregious' — which literally means 'standing out from the flock', the exact opposite of blending into one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of aggregate
Aggregate derives from the Latin 'aggregatus', the past participle of 'aggregare', meaning 'to add to a flock or herd', itself built on 'grex' or 'greg-', the Latin word for a flock. The word entered English in the early 15th century, initially in learned and scientific contexts, before broadening into general use. It shares this root with 'gregarious', 'segregate', 'congregation', and 'egregious', all of which involve the idea of gathering with, or standing apart from, the flock.
Related word forms
How aggregate is actually used
Note the stress shift: the noun and adjective are pronounced AG-gruh-gut, while the verb is AG-gruh-gayt. 'In the aggregate' is a common formal idiom meaning 'taken as a whole'. In construction and engineering, 'aggregate' specifically refers to granular material like sand and gravel used in concrete.
Easily confused with aggregate
Aggravate means to make a problem or situation worse, while aggregate means to gather things into a whole or total.