Main Entry: con·gre·ga·tion

Pronunciation: \ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shən\

Function: noun

Date: 14th century

1 a : an assembly of persons : gathering; especially : an assembly of persons met for worship and religious instruction b : a religious community: as (1) : an organized body of believers in a particular locality (2) : a Roman Catholic religious institute with only simple vows (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