An aggregate, in the context of a collection, refers to a group of items or elements that are gathered together to form a whole. This can include various types of data, objects, or even people that share common characteristics or are related in some way. For example, a collection of books in a library can be considered an aggregate of literary works. In data management, aggregates are often used to summarize information, such as calculating the total sales from a group of transactions. This helps in analyzing trends and making informed decisions. Common examples of aggregates include databases, datasets, and collections of artifacts.