meeting house

American  

[mee-ting hous] / ˈmi tɪŋ ˌhaʊs /

Or meeting-house,

noun

1. a house or other building for communal gathering, especially a place of Protestant worship. Common in Colonial America for both public business and religious worship, a meeting house today is usually a place of worship for Quakers, Mennonites, Mormons, or certain other nonconformist denominations.

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meeting house British  

noun

1. the place in which certain religious groups, esp Quakers, hold their meetings for worship

2. Also called: wharepuni.  a large Māori tribal hall

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Etymology

Origin of meeting house

First recorded in 1625–35

Example Sentences

For months, activists have been demanding more support from city leadership, explained Elias Siegelman, an activist who works with No ICE Philly, which meets in the quintessentially Pennsylvanian location of a Quaker meeting house.

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2026

Each of the dance numbers feels distinctive while also serving some purpose in developing the story: from an early benefactor’s home or the deck of a ship, to a forest or meeting house.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

The meeting house grows progressively more dilapidated, and the costumes get shabbier, indicating that things aren’t going well for the Puritans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

In its new meeting house, which is roofed with branches and leaves in the traditional style, waits Tito López, the community's sayla – or leader.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2025

Supper was held outside the meeting house, the biggest building on the property.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Related Words

• gathering place