Conglomerate
/kənˈɡlɒməreɪt/
Definitions
3 meaningsA large company consisting of many different companies operating in multiple industries.
/kənˈɡlɒməreɪt/
A large corporation formed by the merging of several businesses.
The conglomerate's diverse holdings insulated it from economic downturns in any single sector.
💡 Simply: Imagine a giant company that owns a bunch of different smaller companies, like a pizza place owning a movie theater and a clothing store. That's a conglomerate!
👶 For kids: A giant company made up of lots of little companies all mixed together!
More Examples
She worked as a financial analyst for a major media conglomerate.
The merger created a powerful conglomerate that dominated the market.
How It's Used
"The media conglomerate owns several television stations, radio networks, and publishing houses."
"Investing in a conglomerate can diversify your portfolio."
To collect or form into a mass, group, or cluster.
/kənˈɡlɒməreɪt/
To gather into a compact mass or cluster.
Over time, the smaller particles of rock conglomerated to form a larger mass.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're making a sculpture out of clay. When you press the clay together to make a solid shape, the clay is 'conglomerating'. It's like things coming together and sticking.
👶 For kids: When stuff comes together to make one big lump!
More Examples
The protesters conglomerated in front of the government building.
The ingredients conglomerated into a thick paste.
How It's Used
"The pebbles and sand conglomerated over time, forming the sedimentary rock."
"The bacteria conglomerated on the agar plate."
Consisting of diverse, dissimilar parts or elements.
/kənˈɡlɒməreɪt/
Composed of heterogeneous elements.
The museum displayed a conglomerate collection of artifacts from various civilizations.
💡 Simply: Imagine a bunch of different types of candy all mixed together in one bag. That mix is 'conglomerate' because it contains all sorts of candies.
👶 For kids: When things are made of lots of different pieces mixed together!
More Examples
The conglomerate nature of the workforce resulted in a wide range of skill sets.
The committee was a conglomerate of people with various backgrounds.
How It's Used
"Conglomerate rock is easily recognized by the various sizes and types of stones in it."
"The city had a conglomerate population of diverse ethnic groups."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
Conglomerate of ideas
A diverse collection of ideas that have been brought together or synthesized.
"The brainstorming session resulted in a conglomerate of ideas that were later evaluated."
Conglomerate of businesses
A group of different businesses formed together into a single corporation.
"The conglomerate of businesses has holdings in media, technology, and finance."
From Latin *conglomerare* 'to wind into a ball, to gather together,' from *con-* 'together' + *glomerare* 'to gather into a ball.'
The term 'conglomerate' started being used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its business usage increased significantly during the mid-20th century.
Memory tip
Think of a 'globe' (glome) with many 'con'nections, forming a large entity.
Word Origin
"to wind into a ball, to gather together"