assembly

[ uh-sem-blee ]

noun

, plural as·sem·blies.

1. an assembling or coming together of a number of persons, usually for a particular purpose:

   The principal will speak to all the students at Friday's assembly.

   Synonyms: meeting, congress, gathering, assemblage

2. a group of persons gathered together, usually for a particular purpose, whether religious, political, educational, or social.

   Synonyms: gathering, assemblage, throng, meeting, congress

3. (often initial capital letter) Government. a legislative body, especially the lower house of the legislature in certain states of the U.S.:

   a bill before the assembly; the New York State Assembly.

   Synonyms: congress

4. Military.
   1. a signal, as by drum or bugle, for troops to fall into ranks or otherwise assemble.
   2. the movement of forces, tanks, soldiers, etc., scattered by battle or battle drill, toward and into a small area.
5. the putting together of complex machinery, as airplanes, from interchangeable parts of standard dimensions.
6. Machinery. a group of machine parts, especially one forming a self-contained, independently mounted unit. Compare subassembly.

Assembly

¹

/ əˈsɛmblɪ /

noun

1. See National Assembly, legislative assembly, House of Assembly
   the lower chamber in various American state legislatures See also House of Assembly legislative assembly National Assembly
2. See General Assembly
   short for General Assembly

assembly

²

/ əˈsɛmblɪ /

noun

1. a number of people gathered together, esp for a formal meeting held at regular intervals
2. the act of assembling or the state of being assembled
3. the process of putting together a number of parts to make a machine or other product
4. machinery a group of mating components before or after fitting together
5. military
   1. a signal for personnel to assemble, as by drum, bugle, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      an assembly area

Other Words From

• preas·sembly noun plural preassemblies
• reas·sembly noun plural reassemblies
• self-as·sembly noun plural selfassemblies

Word History and Origins

Origin of assembly¹

1275–1325; Middle English assemblee < Middle French, literally, (that which is) assembled, feminine past participle of assembler to assemble

Synonym Study

See convention.

Example Sentences

His son, Yaqoob Bizenjo, served as a member of the National Assembly until 2013.

From The Daily Beast

The FSLN-controlled legislative assembly approved the mega-project under a cloud of secrecy in a record seven days.

From The Daily Beast

At break time, the entire assembly line would run over to play the machines that were ready to be shipped out.

From The Daily Beast

Call your state senators, your assembly members, your mayors, and your city councils.

From The Daily Beast

A representative assembly, John Adams wrote in 1776, “should be in miniature an exact portrait of the people at large.”

From The Daily Beast

What course was taken to supply that assembly when any noble family became extinct?

From Project Gutenberg

Opening of the national assembly of France, after the abdication of Louis Philippe.

From Project Gutenberg

Struck with surprise, the dead silence of profound awe, for an instant stilled the whole assembly.

From Project Gutenberg

"We yield obedience to the act granting duties," declared the Massachusetts Assembly.

From Project Gutenberg

Fresh Commissioners came from the Assembly, and it was only their fortunate recall to Paris that saved the general from arrest.

From Project Gutenberg