aggregate
To collect or combine separate items into a single total or group.
Examples
In a meeting
“We aggregate customer feedback from all channels into a single dashboard.”
Over coffee
“The app aggregates news from all my favorite sources.”
Why this word
total
Aggregate emphasizes a collection of distinct items combined into a whole, while total is simply the sum
combined
Aggregate stresses the collective mass formed from separate elements, while combined focuses on the act of joining
overall
Aggregate specifies items gathered into a collective unit, while overall means comprehensive or general
Usage tip
Common in data and business contexts. The noun form means 'the total' (in the aggregate). Different from 'consolidate' — you aggregate data, you consolidate organizations.
Etymology
Latin aggregare — ad (to) + grex/gregis (flock, herd), literally 'to add to the flock'
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Related words
delineate
To describe or outline something precisely and clearly.
categorize
Place things into groups based on shared characteristics
compartmentalize
Separate things into distinct sections or categories
unify
To bring together into a single whole or system
partition
To divide into separate sections or parts
designate
Officially assign a role, purpose, or name to someone or something