synagogue

American  

[sin-uh-gog, -gawg] / ˈsɪn əˌgɒg, -ˌgɔg /

Or synagog

noun

• synagogues
  plural

1. a Jewish house of worship, often having facilities for religious instruction.

2. an assembly or congregation of Jews for the purpose of religious worship.

3. the Jewish religion; Judaism.

---

synagogue British  

/ ˈsɪnəˌɡɒɡ /

noun

1. 1. a building for Jewish religious services and usually also for religious instruction

   2. ( as modifier )

      synagogue services

2. a congregation of Jews who assemble for worship or religious study

3. the religion of Judaism as organized in such congregations

---

synagogue Cultural  

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• synagogal
  adjective
• synagogical
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• synagogues
  plural

Etymology

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

Explanation

A synagogue is a Jewish house of worship. A synagogue, sometimes called a temple or a shul, is for Jews what a church is for Christians, or a mosque for Muslims, or a temple for Hindus. The word comes from the Greek roots sun "together" and agein "bring" — it's a building where worshipers are brought together.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

synagogue synagogues

In 2015, he demonstrated the successful digital unrolling of a charred scroll recovered from a synagogue that burned around 600 C.E.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

The Emeritus Rabbi of the New North London synagogue told the BBC he wanted to show that what was happening to Palestinians there mattered to him and his community.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

A service of remembrance began at the synagogue in Manchester at 20:00 BST, with relatives of the bereaved and some of the survivors among the speakers.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

Kander’s parents were of English and Bavarian-Jewish descent and were founding members of Milwaukee’s largest Reform synagogue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

During Purim, our congregation gathers at the synagogue to listen to the Megillah, the scroll that tells Esther’s story.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

He had also said he wanted to see the motion amended to specify that it should not be used to discipline Jewish members attending synagogues that consider themselves Zionist.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

The men were arrested in the Northern Quarter area of Manchester on 20 September - the eve of Yom Kippur, when thousands of British Jews were in synagogues.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

When New York state enacted buffer-zone protections in May, the coalition that organizes disruptive gatherings outside synagogues and churches published a victory statement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Other synagogues, churches and mosques are on the path to rebuilding, but they are facing the same hurdles as many of their congregants and members, and then some.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026

Enrollment at churches and synagogues rose as never before, the requests for wine overwhelming some priests and rabbis.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• chapel
• house of worship
• mosque
• parish
• shrine
• temple