gathering

American  

[gath-er-ing] / ˈgæð ər ɪŋ /

noun

1. an assembly or meeting.

   Synonyms:

   assemblage

2. an assemblage of people; group or crowd.

   Synonyms:

   throng, company, concourse, congregation

3. a collection, assemblage, or compilation of anything.

4. the act of a person or thing that gathers.

5. something that is gathered together.

6. a gather or a series of gathers in cloth.

7. an inflamed and suppurating swelling.

   Synonyms:

   carbuncle, abscess, boil

8. (in a flue, duct, or the like) a tapered section forming a transition between two sections, one of which has a greater area than the other.

9. Bookbinding. a section in a book, usually a sheet cut into several leaves.

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gathering British  

/ ˈɡæðərɪŋ /

noun

1. a group of people, things, etc, that are gathered together; assembly

2. sewing a gather or series of gathers in material

3. 1. the formation of pus in a boil

   2. the pus so formed

4. printing an informal name for section

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Etymology

Origin of gathering

First recorded before 900; Middle English gaderinge, Old English gaderunge; equivalent to gather + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

In Europe, observers are awaiting a key gathering of leaders on Friday to discuss ways to address gaping trade deficits with China.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

The event, which will likely be a more scaled-down gathering, wouldn’t take place at the Washington Hilton.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Jon Pearce, Labour MP for High Peak, confirmed on Wednesday that dye had been ordered again to "deter people from gathering and trespassing at the site".

From BBC • May 28, 2026

And about 75 fans heeded Gonzalez’s call for a protest, gathering in front of the Angel Stadium State College Boulevard entrance on Saturday chanting “sell the team,” “we want playoffs” and “winning matters.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026

The villagers should have all been at work in the mines by now, but instead, everyone was gathering in the village square.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• association
• caucus
• collection
• conclave
• conference
• congregation
• convention
• crowd
• function
• group
• mass
• meeting
• party
• throng