agglomeration
noun
ag·glom·er·a·tion ə-ˌglä-mə-ˈrā-shən 
1
: the action or process of collecting in a mass
the agglomeration of matter into stars and galaxies
2
: a heap or cluster of usually disparate (see disparate sense 1) elements
… an agglomeration of 100-year-old cottages with gingerbread scroll-saw ornamentation.
Ira Henry Freeman
Ira Henry Freeman3
: a large, densely and contiguously populated area consisting of a city and its suburbs
an urban agglomeration
agglomerative
ə-ˈglä-mə-ˌrā-tiv
adjective 
Synonyms
- agglomerate
- alphabet soup
- assortment
- botch
- clutter
- collage
- crazy quilt
- farrago
- gallimaufry
- grab bag
- gumbo
- hash
- hodgepodge
- hotchpotch
- jambalaya
- jumble
- jungle
- litter
- macédoine
- medley
- mélange
- menagerie
- miscellanea
- miscellany
- mishmash
- mixed bag
- montage
- motley
- muddle
- olio
- olla podrida
- omnium-gatherum
- pastiche
- patchwork
- patchwork quilt
- potpourri
- ragbag
- ragout
- rummage
- salad
- salmagundi
- scramble
- shuffle
- smorgasbord
- stew
- tumble
- variety
- welter
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
This suburb has become just a vast agglomeration of houses, people, and cars. the bedroom community became a vast agglomeration of houses, schools, and small shops
Recent Examples on the Web Scrosati spoke to Variety in Venice about his vision for how Fremantle is spawning a wide range of films from its organic agglomeration of companies. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Sep. 2022 As much as the characters represent an agglomeration of types, they are well written and the actors invest them with life. Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2022 As much as the characters represent an agglomeration of types, they are well written and the actors invest them with life. Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2022 Most arts-industry communities on the current web — for example, the agglomeration of writers known as Book Twitter — run purely on the interest of their participants, who post thoughts and receive notes if the mood strikes. Steven Zeitchik, Washington Post, 14 July 2022 The company, founded after the Great Recession by the married couple Veronica Zelle and Frank Simonetti, is an unusual agglomeration of content production, distribution, growth advisory, and music label. David Bloom, Forbes, 25 June 2022 The industry’s reliance on network effects contributes to this agglomeration, says Muro. Caitlin Harrington, Wired, 8 Mar. 2022 These mines transformed the area into Germany’s great industrial powerhouse, a vast urban agglomeration home to Essen, Dortmund and other manufacturing cities. Alec Macgillis, ProPublica, 31 Jan. 2022 For some readers today, this agglomeration of personal failings — after such knowledge, what forgiveness? — carries over to a blanket rejection of Eliot’s creative work. Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2022 See More
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Sep. 2022 As much as the characters represent an agglomeration of types, they are well written and the actors invest them with life. Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2022 As much as the characters represent an agglomeration of types, they are well written and the actors invest them with life. Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2022 Most arts-industry communities on the current web — for example, the agglomeration of writers known as Book Twitter — run purely on the interest of their participants, who post thoughts and receive notes if the mood strikes. Steven Zeitchik, Washington Post, 14 July 2022 The company, founded after the Great Recession by the married couple Veronica Zelle and Frank Simonetti, is an unusual agglomeration of content production, distribution, growth advisory, and music label. David Bloom, Forbes, 25 June 2022 The industry’s reliance on network effects contributes to this agglomeration, says Muro. Caitlin Harrington, Wired, 8 Mar. 2022 These mines transformed the area into Germany’s great industrial powerhouse, a vast urban agglomeration home to Essen, Dortmund and other manufacturing cities. Alec Macgillis, ProPublica, 31 Jan. 2022 For some readers today, this agglomeration of personal failings — after such knowledge, what forgiveness? — carries over to a blanket rejection of Eliot’s creative work. Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Medieval Latin agglomerātiōn-, agglomerātiō, from Latin agglomerāre "to agglomerate entry 1" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns
First Known Use
1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1
agglomeration
noun
as in variety
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things the bedroom community became a vast agglomeration of houses, schools, and small shops Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- variety
- assortment
- jumble
- medley
- agglomerate
- collage
- amalgam
- mélange
- blend
- accumulation
- litter
- hodgepodge
- clutter
- aggregation
- hotchpotch
- patchwork
- mishmash
- shuffle
- miscellany
- miscellanea
- farrago
- menagerie
- pastiche
- jungle
- smorgasbord
- gallimaufry
- potpourri
- ragbag
- salmagundi
- combination
- crazy quilt
- motley
- patchwork quilt
- hash
- salad
- mixed bag
- aggregate
- montage
- stew
- tangle
- scramble
- grab bag
- alphabet soup
- gumbo
- conglomeration
- botch
- olio
- rummage
- ragout
- tumble
- macédoine
- jambalaya
- conglomerate
- welter
- muddle
- fusion
- detritus
- omnium-gatherum
- notions
- composite
- olla podrida
- admixture
- intermixture
- compound
- mess
- chaos
- alloy
- sundries
- commixture
- disorder
- disarray
- disarrangement
- imbroglio
- catchall
- confusion
- oddments
- morass
- snarl
- shambles
- odds and ends
- mix-up
- dog's breakfast
- bollix
- knot
