congregation

American  

[kong-gri-gay-shuhn] / ˌkɒŋ grɪˈgeɪ ʃən /

noun

• congregations
  plural

1. an assembly of persons brought together for common religious worship.

2. the act of congregating or the state of being congregated.

3. a gathered or assembled body; assemblage.

4. an organization formed for the purpose of providing for worship of God, for religious education, and for other church activities; a local church society.

5. (in the Bible) the people of Israel.

6. New Testament. the Christian church in general.

7. 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.

8. (at English universities) the general assembly of the doctors, fellows, etc.

9. (in colonial North America) a parish, town, plantation, or other settlement.

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congregation British  

/ ˌkɒŋɡrɪˈɡeɪʃən /

noun

1. a group of persons gathered for worship, prayer, etc, esp in a church or chapel

2. the act of congregating or collecting together

3. a group of people, objects, etc, collected together; assemblage

4. the group of persons habitually attending a given church, chapel, etc

5. 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: dicastery. an administrative subdivision of the papal curia

   3. an administrative committee of bishops for arranging the business of a general council

6. an assembly of senior members of a university

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• congregations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of congregation

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English congregacio(u)n, from Anglo-French or directly from Latin congregātiōn- (stem of congregātiō ); see congregate, -ion

Explanation

Although the word is most usually assigned to the members of a church, any gathering might be called a congregation, including a gathering of animals. Come to think of it, a congregation of church members is often called a "flock." The Latin root of congregation, which is greg, meaning "flock," easily becomes congregare, meaning "to gather together," and finally congregationen, giving the current meaning of “a group.” The meaning took on a religious quality when 16th Century Protestants took it to refer to the church itself, then refining it to mean church members. If you're not a churchgoer, you might still refer to your friends who show up to watch football as a congregation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

congregation congregations

Modern life turns out to be, among other things, a vast congregation of machines taking one another’s word for what time it is.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

At a Wednesday church Bible study in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, Rev. Christopher Benek got several questions about AI from his congregation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Like nearly everyone I grew up around in this corner of Pennsylvania, Sundays in our house were a congregation in green, and I was the lone holdout in the pew, quietly pulling for New England.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

Choir Only Men Aloud will sing her huge hit Total Eclipse of the Heart and Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, while the congregation will sing hymn Calon Lan.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Throughout the entire service, Reb Saunders stood with his back to the congregation, sometimes raising his head toward the ceiling, or raising his hands to cover his eyes.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

The food bank was a success and still operates today, having unfortunately outlived two of the congregations that founded it.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026

And historian Dr Michael Lambert, from Lancaster University, argued that archives held privately by religious congregations could help "unlock" important pieces of history.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

That might look like cathedrals built for congregations that never attend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026

Smoke could be seen billowing from Temple Israel, one of the largest Reform Judaism congregations in the country, after the attack and fire engines were on the scene.

From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026

To ask forgiveness, repeatedly, was what congregations were mosdy expected to do, all the while listening to choirs and priests singing at great length about the same sentiment.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• audience
• crowd
• flock
• gathering
• parish
• throng