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definitions

synagogue

or syn·a·gog

[sin-uh-gog, -gawg]
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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. 2019

Related Words for synagogue

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

Examples from the Web for synagogue

Contemporary Examples of synagogue

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.

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
n.

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.")

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
synagogue in Culture

synagogue

[(sin-uh-gog)]

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

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.