conglomerate

1 of 4

adjective

con·glom·er·ate kən-ˈglä-mə-rət

-ˈgläm-

Synonyms of conglomerate

: made up of parts from various sources or of various kinds

the conglomerate peoples of New England

a conglomerate empire

conglomerate

2 of 4

verb

con·glom·er·ate kən-ˈglä-mə-ˌrāt

conglomerated; conglomerating

intransitive verb

: to gather into a mass or coherent whole

Infinite numbers of dull people conglomerated round her …—Virginia Woolf

transitive verb

: accumulate

conglomerative

kən-ˈgläm-rə-tiv,

-ˈglä-mə-

-mə-ˌrā-

adjective

conglomerator

kən-ˈglä-mə-ˌrā-tər

noun

conglomerate

3 of 4

noun (1)

con·glom·er·ate kən-ˈglä-mə-rət

-ˈgläm-

: a composite mass or mixture

especially : rock composed of rounded fragments varying from small pebbles to large boulders in a cement (as of hardened clay)

: a widely diversified corporation

an international conglomerate of some 350 businesses

conglomeratic

kən-ˌglä-mə-ˈra-tik

ˌkän-

adjective

conglomerator

4 of 4

noun (2)

con·glom·er·a·tor kən-ˈglä-mə-ˌrā-tər

plural -s

: conglomerateur

Examples of conglomerate in a Sentence

Verb people conglomerated in the downtown streets for an impromptu victory celebration over the years the town's discarded junk conglomerated at the bottom of the river Noun (1) a news and entertainment conglomerate Our small company must compete with the big conglomerates.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Adjective

As its rivals increasingly conglomerate to exert pressure against it, the West is often forced to ignore the flaws of its allies. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 In September Curiosity found an outcrop of conglomerate rock, pebbles and gravel bound together by wet sediment. — Discover Magazine, 11 Dec. 2012

Verb

Just a month later, conglomerate Vintage Wine Estates declared bankruptcy, and Foley jumped at the chance to bid on its assets. — Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Oct. 2024 The vision of the commission is clear in a diagram for the War Department that sought to streamline the bureaucracy, conglomerating the existing 18 divisions into eight. — Laura Ellyn Smith, The Conversation, 9 May 2025

Noun

Japanese conglomerate Softbank led losses in Asia and plunged more than 5%. — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 26 June 2026 The conglomerate, trying to find a footing in the post-pandemic retail environment that saw online shopping surge, saw its sales fall this decade. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for conglomerate

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin conglomeratus, past participle of conglomerare to roll together, from com- + glomerare to wind into a ball, from glomer-, glomus ball — more at clam

Noun (2)

conglomerate + -or entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1572, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1642, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of conglomerate was in 1572

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

conglobe

conglomerate

conglomerateur

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Conglomerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conglomerate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

conglomerate

1 of 3 adjective

con·glom·er·ate kən-ˈgläm-(ə-)rət

: made up of parts from various sources or of various kinds

conglomerate

2 of 3 verb

con·glom·er·ate kən-ˈgläm-ə-ˌrāt

conglomerated; conglomerating

: to collect or form into a mass

conglomeration

-ˌgläm-ə-ˈrā-shən,

kän-

noun

conglomerate

3 of 3 noun

con·glom·er·ate kən-ˈgläm-(ə-)rət

: a composite mass or mixture

especially : rock made up of rounded pieces varying from small pebbles to large boulders in a cement (as of hardened clay)

: a corporation engaging in many different kinds of business

Medical Definition

conglomerate

1 of 3 adjective

con·glom·er·ate kən-ˈgläm-(ə-)rət

: made up of parts from various sources or of various kinds

conglomerate

2 of 3 verb

con·glom·er·ate -ə-ˌrāt

conglomerated; conglomerating

transitive verb

: to gather (something) into a mass or coherent whole

intransitive verb

: to gather into a mass or coherent whole

conglomerative

-ˈgläm-(ə-)rət-iv, -ə-ˌrāt-

adjective

conglomerate

3 of 3 noun

con·glom·er·ate -(ə-)rət

: a composite mass or mixture

Legal Definition

conglomerate

noun

con·glom·er·ate kən-ˈglä-mə-rət

: a widely diversified company

especially : a corporation that acquires other companies whose activities are unrelated to the corporation's primary activity

conglomerate

adjective

verb

noun (1)

noun (2)

Synonyms of conglomerate

Examples of conglomerate in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

Legal Definition

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