Meaning & use
commingle
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitiveformal
To mix things together so they form one blended whole.
Grammar: Can take an object: commingle the colors; or have none: the smells commingled.
Patterns
- commingle something with something
- commingle with something
The scents of coffee and cinnamon commingled in the kitchen.
The river water commingles with the sea at the estuary.
The artist commingled bright paints on the canvas.
verbtransitivelegalfinance
To put money or assets from separate owners or purposes into the same account or pool, which is often prohibited.
Grammar: Takes an object: commingle funds.
Patterns
- commingle funds
- commingle something with something
Lawyers must not commingle client money with their own.
The treasurer was accused of commingling charity funds.
The company commingled personal and business expenses.
Word forms
| third person singular | commingles |
|---|---|
| past tense | commingled |
| past participle | commingled |
| -ing form | commingling |
Common combinations
- commingle funds
- It is illegal to commingle funds in this account.
- commingle assets
- Married couples often commingle assets.
- commingle with
- The smells commingle with the sound of music.
- commingled cultures
- The city shows commingled cultures.
- commingle personal and business
- Don't commingle personal and business money.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mingle
- Mingle is the common everyday word and often describes people mixing socially.
- blend
- Blend suggests mixing so thoroughly that the parts can no longer be told apart.
- merge
- Merge suggests joining into one, often with companies or roads.
- intermix
- Intermix stresses mixing together different kinds of things.
Opposites
Word family
- mingle verb
- to mix together
- commingling noun
- the mixing of things, especially funds
- commingled adjective
- mixed together
Commonly confused: commingle or mingle?
commingle vs mingle
Mingle is the simpler everyday word and is more common for people at parties; commingle is more formal and used in legal or financial writing.
Practice
The accountant warned the owner not to ___ company money with his personal savings.
Choose one answer.
Commingle means to mix funds together, which is what the accountant warns against. Separate is the opposite and would not make sense with the warning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “commingle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.