The aggregate meaning is about many separate parts gathered and treated as a single whole. As a noun or adjective it means a total, as in an aggregate score; used as a verb, it describes the act of bringing things together into that total.
The word turns up in surprisingly different places. Students in India check their aggregate marks, football fans follow aggregate scores over two matches, economists talk about aggregate demand, and builders order tonnes of aggregate for concrete. To define aggregate for every one of these settings, we start from the same core sense and follow it into each field. That gives a fuller definition of aggregate than a single line can.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
A whole formed by combining parts; to combinePart of speech
Noun, adjective, verbPronunciation
AG-ri-git (noun, adjective); AG-ri-gayt (verb)Word forms
aggregated, aggregating, aggregation, aggregatorOrigin
Latin aggregare, to add to a flock, from ad- and grex, flock; in English from about 1400Close words
total, sum, combined, overall, cumulativeRegister
Formal or technical
Each aggregate meaning, one by one
- Total (noun). The sum you get when you add up several amounts. Her aggregate across all five papers was 412.
- Combined (adjective). Formed by adding parts together. The aggregate cost of the repairs surprised the owners.
- To combine (verb). To collect items or figures into one group or total. The app aggregates bus timings from several operators.
- Building material (noun). Sand, gravel or crushed stone mixed with cement and water to make concrete, or laid under roads.
- In science (noun). A mass made of many particles or grains stuck together, such as a rock formed from several minerals.
Two pronunciations for two jobs
Like a few other English words, aggregate changes its last syllable depending on its job. As a noun or adjective, the ending is weak: AG-ri-git. As a verb, the ending is strong and rhymes with gate: AG-ri-gayt. You hear the same pattern in estimate and graduate.
Stress stays on the first syllable in both cases. If you are not sure which job the word is doing, ask whether you could put the in front of it. If you could, use the noun sound.
Sentences using aggregate
- You need at least 60 percent in aggregate to apply for the engineering course.
- The two teams drew the second match, but the home side went through 3 to 2 on aggregate.
- Quarry trucks dropped piles of grey aggregate next to the half-built flyover.
- The survey aggregates answers from every district before any results are shared.
- In aggregate, small daily snacks added up to a big part of his monthly spending.
Where the word shows up
School and college. In India, aggregate marks or aggregate percentage means the total or average across all subjects, and admission rules often set a minimum aggregate.
Sport. When two teams play each other twice, home and away, the winner is the side with the higher aggregate, meaning total goals across both games.
Economics and business. Aggregate demand is the total demand for goods and services in an economy, and aggregate supply is the total output. Firms also report figures in aggregate rather than for each customer, to show the big picture and protect privacy.
Technology. An aggregator is a service that gathers content, prices or data from many sources into one place.
Construction. Fine aggregate is usually sand; coarse aggregate is gravel or crushed stone. These form most of the volume of concrete and are basic to infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
A flock in the word's past
Behind aggregate stands Latin aggregare, to add to a flock, made from ad-, to, and grex, flock or herd. English had the adjective, verb and noun by the early 1400s, all built on the idea of joining things into one body. You can spot grex again in congregate, to flock together, segregate, to set apart from the flock, and gregarious, fond of company.
Aggregate vs total, average and cumulative
| Word | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Aggregate | The combined whole; sometimes shown as a percentage of the combined maximum |
| Total | The plain sum; more everyday than aggregate |
| Average | The total divided by the number of items |
| Cumulative | A total that keeps growing as new amounts are added over time |
An aggregate percentage and an average can match, but only when every subject or item carries the same maximum. If papers are marked out of different totals, add raw marks first and then divide. For further money and numbers vocabulary, try the pages on revenue and budget.
Frequently asked questions
What does aggregate mean in marks?
It means your combined score across all subjects, often shown as a percentage of the combined maximum. A college asking for 60 percent aggregate wants your overall result to reach that level, not each subject.
What does on aggregate mean in football?
It means the result is decided by adding goals from both legs of a two-match tie. A team can lose one game and still go through if its total across the pair is higher.
How do you pronounce aggregate?
As a noun or adjective, say AG-ri-git. As a verb, say AG-ri-gayt, with the end rhyming with gate.
What is aggregate in concrete?
It is the granular filler mixed into concrete: sand as fine aggregate and gravel or crushed stone as coarse aggregate. Cement and water bind it together.
Is aggregate the same as total?
Very close. Aggregate is a more formal word for a total formed from separate parts, and it is preferred in exams, statistics and finance. In casual talk, total is more natural.
What is an aggregator?
An aggregator is a person, company or website that collects things from many sources and shows them together, such as news headlines, travel fares or ride options.