synagogue

American  

[sin-uh-gog, -gawg] / ˈsɪn əˌgɒg, -ˌgɔg /

Or synagog

noun

1. a Jewish house of worship, often having facilities for religious instruction.

2. an assembly or congregation of Jews for the purpose of religious worship.

3. the Jewish religion; Judaism.

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synagogue British  

/ ˌsɪnəˈɡɒdʒɪkəl, ˈsɪnəˌɡɒɡ, ˈsɪnəˌɡɒɡəl /

noun

1. 1. a building for Jewish religious services and usually also for religious instruction

   2. ( as modifier )

      synagogue services

2. a congregation of Jews who assemble for worship or religious study

3. the religion of Judaism as organized in such congregations

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synagogue Cultural  

1. In Judaism, a house of worship and learning; also, the congregation that meets there.

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Other Word Forms

• synagogal adjective
• synagogical adjective

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

Example Sentences

Father is a hazan—he sings the songs of our prayers, at synagogue and at home, and he has taught me how to sing too.

From Literature

The rabbi of the Manchester synagogue where worshippers were killed in a knife attack has told of the fear and trauma he still feels.

From BBC

The line of protesters by a synagogue Thursday night in the Queens neighborhood of Kew Gardens told another.

From The Wall Street Journal

There are no synagogues in Barletta, so they drive for hours to Rome for religious instruction.

From The Wall Street Journal

When he was little and started asking her about the men he saw on the subway who weren’t really there, the sweet grandmothers in synagogue who were years gone, he had legitimately frightened her.

From Literature

Related Words

• chapel
• house of worship
• mosque
• parish
• shrine
• temple