MEANING
To come together as a group in one place.
Use it for
Meeting habits; public gathering; informal centers of local lifeReveal a public space through the people who repeatedly gather there.
Words that belong together
- congregate in the square
- congregate around the entrance
- congregate outside
On the page
Drivers congregated outside the café between delivery rounds.
Where could the teenagers congregate without being asked to buy something?
At dusk, neighbors congregate in the square to exchange the day's news.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- congregate / congregates
- Past tense
- congregated
- Past participle
- congregated
- Present participle
- congregating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- congregate / congregates
- Present continuous
- am/is/are congregating
- Present perfect
- have/has congregated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been congregating
- Past
- congregated
- Past continuous
- was/were congregating
- Past perfect
- had congregated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been congregating
- Future
- will congregate / congregates
- Future continuous
- will be congregating
- Future perfect
- will have congregated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been congregating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: setting. Intransitive in ordinary use: people congregate in or around a place. Highlights gathering, not necessarily crowding or religious membership. Base: congregate; third-person singular: congregates; past: congregated; past participle: congregated; present participle: congregating. Related derivations are listed separately under related.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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