synagogue
Americannoun
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a Jewish house of worship, often having facilities for religious instruction.
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an assembly or congregation of Jews for the purpose of religious worship.
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the Jewish religion; Judaism.
noun
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a building for Jewish religious services and usually also for religious instruction
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( as modifier )
synagogue services
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a congregation of Jews who assemble for worship or religious study
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the religion of Judaism as organized in such congregations
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of synagogue
1125–75; Middle English synagoge < Late Latin synagōga < Greek synagōgḗ assembly, meeting, equivalent to syn- syn- + agōgḗ, noun use of feminine of agōgós (adj.) gathering, derivative of ágein to bring, lead; akin to Latin agere to drive
Explanation
A synagogue is a Jewish house of worship. A synagogue, sometimes called a temple or a shul, is for Jews what a church is for Christians, or a mosque for Muslims, or a temple for Hindus. The word comes from the Greek roots sun "together" and agein "bring" — it's a building where worshipers are brought together.
Vocabulary lists containing synagogue
It's Lit: Hanukkah Words
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Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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World Religions
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A 17-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to arson following an incident at Kenton Synagogue.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian media reported that the Rafi-Nia Synagogue in central Tehran had been "completely destroyed".
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
"It's a shock," said Jack Taub, who is on the leadership team of the Machzike Hadath Synagogue, where the incident took place.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
“We really feel that this was a very important and very special trip,” said Rabbi Levi Wolff, chief rabbi at the Central Synagogue in Sydney, who met with Herzog during the visit.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
On August 3, 1959, two years and eight months after our arrests, and after a full year of legal maneuvering, the actual trial commenced at the Old Synagogue in Pretoria.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
