synagogue

American  

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

Or synagog

noun

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.

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synagogue British  

/ ˌsɪnəˈɡɒdʒɪkəl, ˈsɪnəˌɡɒɡ, ˈsɪnəˌɡɒɡəl /

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

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synagogue Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• synagogal adjective
• synagogical adjective

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

Example Sentences

Several explosions from exploding oxygen canisters within the ambulances caused windows of nearby buildings, including the synagogue to crack or shatter - however no injuries were reported.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

He began work at the New York Orthodox synagogue Kehilath Jeshurun in 1903.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

No staff or children at the synagogue and its school were hurt in the incident.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

Tamar Cohen agreed that she would not be deterred and planned to attend her synagogue as usual.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Danny was in the synagogue at the time, and all eyes turned to stare at him in astonishment.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Related Words

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