synagogue

or syn·a·gog

[sin-uh-gog, -gawg]

See more synonyms for synagogue on Thesaurus.com

noun

a Jewish house of worship, often having facilities for religious instruction.
an assembly or congregation of Jews for the purpose of religious worship.
the Jewish religion; Judaism.

Origin of synagogue

1125–75; Middle English synagoge < Late Latin synagōga < Greek synagōgḗ assembly, meeting, equivalent to syn- syn- + agōgḗ, noun use of feminine of agōgós (adj.) gathering, derivative of ágein to bring, lead; akin to Latin agere to drive

Related formssyn·a·gog·i·cal

[sin-uh-goj-i-kuh l] /ˌsɪn əˈgɒdʒ ɪ kəl/, syn·a·gog·al

[sin-uh-gog-uh l, -gaw-guh l] /ˈsɪn əˌgɒg əl, -ˌgɔ gəl/, adjective

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

Related Words for synagogue

parish, mosque, temple, shrine, chapel, cathedral, tabernacle, abbey, shul

Examples from the Web for synagogue

Contemporary Examples of synagogue

Terrorists killed four rabbis, three of them American, in a synagogue this morning.
Mass Murder in the Holy City
Michael Tomasky
November 18, 2014
Freundel is also rabbi of the prominent Kesher Israel synagogue in Washington.
Accusations Pile Up on Top D.C. Rabbi Barry Freundel
Steven I. Weiss
October 15, 2014
A phone message for Freundel at his synagogue was not returned, nor was an e-mail to his personal account.
Accusations Pile Up on Top D.C. Rabbi Barry Freundel
Steven I. Weiss
October 15, 2014
“I am shocked when I hear journalists saying if the De La Roquette synagogue was attacked it is because of the Jews,” he said.
Europe’s Jews Punished for Israel’s War
Eli Lake
July 25, 2014
Following the establishment of the State of Israel, the synagogue was used as a school for displaced Palestinians.
Exclusive Photos: Syria’s Oldest Synagogue, Destroyed by Assad
Josh Rogin
May 27, 2014

Historical Examples of synagogue

Their prayer in the synagogue had been heard, and the child they had asked for was to come.
The Scapegoat
Hall Caine
Never once since the birth of Naomi had he crossed the threshold of the synagogue.
The Scapegoat
Hall Caine
The Judges had reassembled in the synagogue in the early morning.
The Scapegoat
Hall Caine
As the afternoon wore on, the doors of the synagogue were thrown open.
The Scapegoat
Hall Caine
On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue, and was called up to read in the Law.
Dreamers of the Ghetto
I. Zangwill

British Dictionary definitions for synagogue

synagogue

noun

1. a building for Jewish religious services and usually also for religious instruction
2. (as modifier)synagogue services
a congregation of Jews who assemble for worship or religious study
the religion of Judaism as organized in such congregations

Derived Formssynagogical (ˌsɪnəˈɡɒdʒɪkəl) or synagogal (ˈsɪnəˌɡɒɡəl), adjective

Word Origin for synagogue

C12: from Old French sinagogue, from Late Latin synagōga, from Greek sunagōgē a gathering, from sunagein to bring together, from syn- + agein to lead

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 synagogue

late 12c., from Old French sinagoge (11c.), from Late Latin synagoga "congregation of Jews," from Greek synagoge "place of assembly, synagogue," literally "meeting, assembly," from synagein "to gather, assemble," from syn- "together" (see syn-) + agein "bring, lead" (see act). Used by Greek translators of the Old Testament as a loan-translation of late Hebrew keneseth "assembly" (cf. beth keneseth "synagogue," literally "house of assembly.")

synagogue in Culture

synagogue

[(sin-uh-gog)]

In Judaism, a house of worship and learning; also, the congregation that meets there.