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.

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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

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

When going to synagogue, can you focus on contemplative prayer knowing that just being there makes you vulnerable?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The synagogue has been operating off-site for more than a year, according to its website.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

He returned to New York to tie up loose ends and attended synagogue during the fast of Tisha B’Av, when Jews mourn the destruction of the ancient temple in Jerusalem.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

During the 1950s and 1960s, the team reconstructed a monumental bath gymnasium complex and the largest synagogue in the ancient world.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

They were taken to a large synagogue that had been burned and then rebuilt after the events of Kristallnacht.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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

“Interestingly, in Iran we’ve always lived in peace with the Muslims,” and Iran’s synagogues don’t require security, as they do in many other countries, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 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

Julie Menin, speaker of the New York City Council, wrote on social media that "multiple synagogues and private homes in Queens were vandalized overnight with swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti."

From Barron's ● May 4, 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