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aggregate
This word carries a clinical, mathematical precision. It suggests a process of summation where individual identities are merged into a single, overarching figure or mass. It is far more formal than total or combined, often appearing in financial reports, academic papers, or engineering specifications. In a construction context, the word shifts from a conceptual sum to a physical substance. Here, it describes the grit and bulk that provides structural integrity, moving the meaning from an abstract calculation to a tangible, coarse material.
Countable when referring to a specific combined total or a particular type of construction material (an aggregate). Uncountable when referring to the general mass of sand and gravel used in building.
💬Conversación Casual
The contractor just called. He's short on the aggregate for the driveway.
Just tell him to pivot and source it from someone else.
Meanings
formed by the collection of several separate elements; total.
"The aggregate amount of the debt is staggering."
a whole formed by combining several separate elements.
"The overall score is an aggregate of three different tests."
a broad category of coarse-grained materials such as sand, gravel, or crushed stone used in construction.
"Concrete is made by mixing cement with water and aggregate."