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

Clergy such as Ruiz, who arrived to the United States as a teen, are now shepherding their congregations through the fear of such crackdowns. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025

The air is thick, the landscape breathtaking, and Ryan Coogler drops us in the middle of it all as a young Sammie (Miles Caton) wanders, haunted, into his preacher father's congregation. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025

The exultant and tragic horn calls in the symphonies and in Das Lied von der Erde—were these not the potent echoes of the shofar summoning the congregation on High Holidays? —David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025

For many, the morning congregation is no longer just a sacred moment of worship followed by a quick departure. —Tiana Randall, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see congregate entry 1

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for congregation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

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