congregation

[kong-gri-gey-shuh n]

See more synonyms for congregation on Thesaurus.com

noun

an assembly of persons brought together for common religious worship.
the act of congregating or the state of being congregated.
a gathered or assembled body; assemblage.

an organization formed for the purpose of providing for worship of God, for religious education, and for other church activities; a local church society.
the people of Israel. Ex. 12:3,6; Lev. 4:13.
New Testament. the Christian church in general.
Roman Catholic Church.
1. a committee of cardinals or other ecclesiastics.
2. a community of men or women, either with or without vows, observing a common rule.
(at English universities) the general assembly of the doctors, fellows, etc.
(in colonial North America) a parish, town, plantation, or other settlement.

Origin of congregation

1300–50; Middle English congregacio(u)n (< Anglo-French) < Latin congregātiōn- (stem of congregātiō); see congregate, -ion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for congregation

throng, crowd, parish, gathering, audience, flock, confab, laity, assembly, muster, turnout, company, aggregation, collection, host, multitude, sit-in, meet, following, group

Examples from the Web for congregation

Contemporary Examples of congregation

The congregation was warm, friendly, and welcoming—traits, he says, he later came to believe they used to coax members in.
Beaten By His Church for Being Gay
Justin Jones
December 16, 2014
One woman, BB, is a former pastor who was outed to her congregation before she could even tell her loved ones.
Mississippi Is Hell for These Lesbians
Emily Shire
August 8, 2014
Members of the congregation will join in hymns during the performance.
The First Americans to Observe the 4th Were Moravian Pacifists
Linda C. Brinson
July 4, 2014
I asked a question once, from the top lay-member of our congregation in Greenhaven.
A Jewish Ex-Con Recalls Keeping Kosher with the Faithful in Prison
Daniel Genis
May 11, 2014
The New York Board of Rabbis would send in cases of macaroons for the congregation at every Passover.
A Jewish Ex-Con Recalls Keeping Kosher with the Faithful in Prison
Daniel Genis
May 11, 2014

Historical Examples of congregation

I received no answer, and then I turned to the congregation.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
She has many judicious helpers in her father's congregation.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
In this instance it was hard to say which was the more surprised, the revivalist or the congregation.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
And presently his surprise was reflected by the congregation.
Quaint Courtships
Various
The nave of the church is now filled with seats for the use of the congregation.
English Villages
P. H. Ditchfield

British Dictionary definitions for congregation

congregation

noun

a group of persons gathered for worship, prayer, etc, esp in a church or chapel
the act of congregating or collecting together
a group of people, objects, etc, collected together; assemblage
the group of persons habitually attending a given church, chapel, etc
RC Church
1. a society of persons who follow a common rule of life but who are bound only by simple vows
2. Also called: dicasteryan administrative subdivision of the papal curia
3. an administrative committee of bishops for arranging the business of a general council
mainly British an assembly of senior members of a university

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for congregation

mid-14c., "a gathering, assembly," from Old French congregacion (12c., Modern French congrégation), from Latin congregationem (nominative congregatio), noun of action from congregare (see congregate).

Used by Tyndale to translate Greek ekklesia in New Testament and by some Old Testament translators in place of synagoge. (Vulgate uses a variety of words in these cases, including congregatio but also ecclesia, vulgus, synagoga, populus.) Protestant reformers in 16c. used it in place of church; hence the word's main modern sense of "local society of believers" (1520s).