Consolidate

Question

Hey,I'm having trouble understanding what consolidate means and how the meaning differs from other words with similar meanings, such as amalgamate or merge.I read that amalgamate could be used to describe an event in which two or more separate companies merge and that consolidate could not, which confuses me since one definition of consolidate is to unite or combine.Could anyone help me?

Nazanin saryazdi · Accepted Answer

Based on the definitions in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English , it seems like the two words "merge" and "amalgamate" are somehow synonymous, except that amalgamate is a formal word and you have to read both usages. The difference between consolidate and merge, or amalgamate would be the pink line! that makes the meaning a bit different and also the usage. Hope it helps.

consolidate has got two meanings:
1 to strengthen the position of power or success that you have, so that it becomes more effective or continues for longer : The company has consolidated its position as the country’s leading gas supplier. The team consolidated their lead with a third goal. 2 to combine things in order to make them more effective or easier to deal with : We consolidate information from a wide range of sources. They took out a loan to consolidate their debts. The company is planning to consolidate its business activities at a new site in Arizona. — consolidation / k?ns?l?de?? ? n, k?ns?l?de?? ? n $ -s?- / noun [ uncountable and countable ] : the consolidation of political power.

and,..... based on the same source the definition for amalgamate and merge would be:

a?mal?ga?mate / ?'mælg?me?t / verb formal 1 [ intransitive and transitive ] if two organizations amalgamate, or if one amalgamates with another, they join and make one big organization SYN merge
amalgamate something with/into/under something
The agency is expected to amalgamate with the National Rivers Authority.
2 [ transitive ] to combine two or more things together to make one thing :
Stir until the ingredients are amalgamated.
amalgamate something with/into something
The editors will amalgamate all the information into one article.
— amalgamation / ??mælg?'me?? ? n / noun [ uncountable and countable ] :
an amalgamation between two companies

merge / m??d? $ m??rd? / verb
1 [ intransitive and transitive ] to combine, or to join things together to form one thing
merge with
The bank announced that it was to merge with another of the high street banks.
The company plans to merge its subsidiaries in the US.
merge something into something
proposals to merge the three existing health authorities into one
merge together
The villages have grown and merged together over the years.
2 [ intransitive ] if two things merge, or if one thing merges into another, you cannot clearly see them, hear them etc as separate things
merge into
She avoided reporters at the airport by merging into the crowds.
merge with
Memories seemed to merge with reality.

Oakahe · Answer

Thanks! I appreciate your help, nazanin.

Would I be correct in saying consolidate has more than one definition? I've been looking at examples of the word in sentences and it seems like it brings some ambiguity in meaning.

I'll list some of the sentences I read.

1) He drew from his past and registered the present, but his brain could not consolidate a new experience and retain it.

2) The rich have frequently chosen inbreeding as a means to keep estates intact and consolidate power.

3) The company will cut the number of operating groups to two from three, and consolidate plants and distribution centers.

In each these three sentences above it appears as though consolidate takes a different meaning.

The tax system is set to become more burdensome as the government strives to consolidate weakened public finances.

What does consolidate mean in this sentence?

Nazanin saryazdi · Answer

The general meanings are the ones that I copied from the dictionary. But you are right . we might have other related meanings. Here are some examples:
Definition of 'Debt Consolidation' The act of combining several loans or liabilities into one loan. Debt consolidation involves taking out a new loan to pay off a number of other debts. Most people who consolidate their debt usually do it to attain a lower interest rate, or the simplicity of a single loan.
and about your sentences:
in order to find out the meaning of sentence 1: I have found this definition for consolidation in the dictionary of Collins:
the process in the brain that makes the memory for an event enduring; the process is thought to continue for some time after the event .

For sentence 2 I have found this example:

Hitler consolidated power means: He got rid of the branches of government and moved all of the power to one place. To consolidate power basically means to give it all to one person/group like how Hitler put the ***** and himself in complete power. It is one of the steps that he took to make Germany a dictatorship.

and I guess number 3 means to combine.

Nazanin saryazdi · Answer

in the sentence you had the word consolidate and the word experience, I need to revise my explanation. What I said about that process in memory is the meaning of the noun form : consolidation. but in that sentence it might mean to strengthen. ( You have to make sure, ask native speakers, that is what I guess)

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