coming-together

IPA/kˈʌmɪŋtəɡˈɛðə/
IPA/kˈʌmɪŋtəɡˈɛðɚ/

coming-together — noun

1. a situation in which two or more people, groups, or things join or meet with eac

1.nounB2
Definition

a situation in which two or more people, groups, or things join or meet with each other, especially after being separate or opposed.

Example

The festival was a coming-together of musicians from six different countries.

coming-together + of + [groups]

This merger represents a historic coming-together of two rival companies.

Common collocations
  • historic coming-together
  • rare coming-together
  • symbol of the coming-together
Synonyms
  • convergence

    more formal; suggests movement toward a common point rather than a personal/social meeting

  • union

    suggests a more permanent or official joining, often of organizations

  • reunion

    specifically describes a meeting of people who were previously together

Antonyms
  • separation

    the opposite condition of being apart rather than together

  • split

    suggests a division, especially of a group or organization

Grammar Patterns

coming-together + of + people/things

Usage Note

This noun is almost always used in the singular and is frequently followed by 'of' plus the participants. It is less common than the phrasal verb 'come together' and appears mainly in journalism or formal speech.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Coming-together, convergence, union, and reunion all describe a joining of separate entities, but they differ in tone and scope. Coming-together is the most concrete and event-focused — it names the act itself (a coming-together of cultures). Convergence is more abstract and directional: it describes things moving toward a common point (a convergence of ideas) without necessarily fully uniting. Union suggests a more permanent or official merger (a trade union; the union of two states). Reunion is backward-looking — it describes people who were together before meeting again (a family reunion). Use coming-together when the focus is on the dynamic act of joining; use union when the result is lasting; use reunion when the participants share prior history.

convergence ↗union ↗reunion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

This noun is formed from the phrasal verb 'come together', which dates back to Old English 'cuman tōgædere'. The hyphenated noun form emerged in English during the 19th century as a way to nominalize the verbal idea of joining or assembling.