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

A Secret Service spokesman told AFP in a text message that the agency was still gathering information about the incident.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

According to multiple reports, the couple held an intimate ceremony in Florida before planning a separate gathering on a private island in the Bahamas.

From Salon • May 23, 2026

But his favorite times there were the events that brought the community together regardless of faith — a gathering for Palestine or an event for Sudan.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

The current know-your-customer rules don’t require the gathering of citizenship status specifically, and banks don’t routinely share that information with the government.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Mom and Dad would take turns gathering me in their lap while Celia squeezed in next to them for our family read-aloud every night.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

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