congregation

noun

con·​gre·​ga·​tion ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shən 

1

a

: an assembly of persons : gathering

especially : an assembly of persons met for worship and religious instruction

b

: a religious community: such as

(1)

: an organized body of believers in a particular locality

The pastor delivered a lengthy sermon to the congregation.

(2)

: a Roman Catholic religious institute with only simple vows

a congregation of nuns

(3)

: a group of monasteries forming an independent subdivision of an order

2

: the act or an instance of congregating or bringing together : the state of being congregated

3

: a body of cardinals and officials forming an administrative division of the papal curia

Did you know?

The verb congregate may be used for spontaneous gatherings. A crowd quickly congregates at the scene of an accident, for example, just as cows, sheep, or horses tend to congregate during a storm. And under military rule, citizens are often forbidden to congregate on street corners or anywhere else. But a congregation is generally a group that has gathered for a formal purpose, usually in church. The Congregational Church was originally the church of the Puritan settlers, in which each congregation governed its own church independent of any higher authority.

Synonyms

• assembly
• church

Examples of congregation in a Sentence

The priest addressed the congregation.

She is a member of a small congregation.

Recent Examples on the Web

His church won independence in 2019 from the Russian Orthodox Church, but some congregations continued to follow the hierarchy in Moscow. —Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025

Bob Thomason, a former chairman of the board of deacons, said most or all of the congregation supports social justice. —Frank Langfitt, NPR, 4 Feb. 2025

Today, Southside continues to organize shelter with other congregations, as well as offer resources like training sessions on how to be an ally to unauthorized immigrants. —Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025

Justice Burns also found 12 other members of the congregation, including the victim's mother, Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49, and brother, Zachary Alan Struhs, 22, guilty of manslaughter. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see congregate entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

congregation

noun

con·​gre·​ga·​tion ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shən 

1

: a gathering or collection of persons or things

2

a

: an assembly of persons gathered especially for religious worship

b

: the members of a church or synagogue