consolidate
/kənˈsɒlɪdeɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈsɑːlɪdeɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈsä-lə-ˌdāt/ (ame, mw)
consolidate — verb
- consolidatepresent simple I / you / we / they
- consolidateshe / she / it
- consolidatedpast simple
- consolidating-ing form
1. to take an already strong position — a leader's authority, a company's market st
to take an already strong position — a leader's authority, a company's market standing, or a student's knowledge — and make it even more secure so it is unlikely to be lost.
After winning the election, the prime minister moved quickly to consolidate her power.
consolidate + [one's] power/position — common pattern
The company consolidated its lead in the Asian market by opening twenty new stores.
consolidate + [one's] lead/market position
Felipe took Spanish lessons every day to consolidate what he had learned in class.
The team's position at the top of the league consolidated after three straight wins.
Nellie consolidated her reputation as a fair judge through years of careful rulings.
- strengthen
more general; 'consolidate' implies making something already strong more secure
- reinforce
suggests adding extra support; 'consolidate' focuses on making a position unshakeable
- secure
focuses on safety from threat; 'consolidate' implies building on existing strength
- weaken
direct opposite — to make a position less secure
文法句型
consolidate something
consolidate (no object)
consolidate + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used with nouns denoting power, control, position, reputation, or knowledge. Can be transitive (someone consolidates something) or intransitive (something consolidates by itself).
常見錯誤
2. to join separate companies, departments, or groups together into one more effect
to join separate companies, departments, or groups together into one more effective unit — for example, two airlines consolidating to cut costs, or a school district consolidating several small schools into one larger campus.
The two airlines consolidated their operations and shared one reservation system.
consolidate + operations / departments / offices
Daichi's firm consolidated five regional offices into a single headquarters in Taipei.
consolidate [X] into [Y] — pattern for merger of units
Several small banks in the area consolidated last year to survive the economic downturn.
After the merger, the IT department was consolidated with the engineering team.
Sana helped consolidate the logistics for three separate delivery networks into one.
- merge
closest synonym; 'merge' often implies equal partners while 'consolidate' can involve absorbing smaller units
- unite
more general and less formal; 'consolidate' has a stronger efficiency/economy implication
- amalgamate
more formal; 'consolidate' is the more common word in everyday business language
文法句型
consolidate something (into something)
consolidate (no object)
be consolidated into + noun
用法筆記
Common in business and organisational contexts. The intransitive use ('the companies consolidated') is less frequent than the transitive use. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is about joining units together; sense 1 is about making a position stronger.
常見錯誤
3. to add separate amounts, debts, or financial figures together and present them a
to add separate amounts, debts, or financial figures together and present them as a single total or statement — for example, consolidating multiple credit card debts into one loan, or a company consolidating its annual results from all branches into one report.
Zayd consolidated all his student loans into one monthly payment at a lower rate.
consolidate + debts / loans — common personal finance use
The accountant consolidated the quarterly figures from all twelve branches.
consolidate + figures / results / data
The hospital consolidated its equipment costs on a single spreadsheet for the annual audit.
Shanti's team consolidated the travel expenses from every department into one budget report.
文法句型
consolidate something
consolidate + debts / loans / accounts
用法筆記
Most commonly found in financial and accounting contexts. The passive form ('the debts were consolidated') is very frequent. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 is specifically about combining numbers or amounts into a single figure or statement, not about joining organisations.