Definition of congregation
1a : an assembly of persons : gathering; especially : an assembly of persons met for worship and religious instructionb : 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
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Examples of congregation in a Sentence
The priest addressed the congregation.
She is a member of a small congregation.
Recent Examples of congregation from the Web
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Until recently, most of the decline in America’s churches was in mainline Protestant congregations.
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On an adjacent field, middle linebacker Ray Lewis has gathered the Lombardi-Accorsi defense in a circle and is gesticulating wildly, raising and lowering his voice as if preaching to a congregation.
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Before any dissolution plan can move forward, the congregation must vote on the measure.
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Snodgrass has led the congregation, which includes about 70 families, for nearly four years.
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What the congregation didn’t seek was national publicity, and Trinity Lutheran fielded lots of it.
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And the congregation’s proposed corrections to Francis’ watershed document, Amoris Laetitia, or Joy of the Family, before its publication last year were ignored.
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Hurn said this was possible thanks to the strong response from the congregation.
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The congregation has grown from just three members at its first Sunday service to more than 7,000 today, said Sarah Dawes, the church's communications director.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'congregation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
Origin and Etymology of congregation
see 1congregate
Other Christian Religious Terms
CONGREGATION Defined for English Language Learners
congregation
playDefinition of congregation for English Language Learners
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: the people who are attending a religious service
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: the people who regularly attend religious services
CONGREGATION Defined for Kids
congregation
playDefinition of congregation for Students
1 : an assembly of persons gathered for religious worship
2 : a gathering or collection of people or things
3 : the membership of a church or synagogue
Learn More about congregation
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See words that rhyme with congregation Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for congregation Spanish Central: Translation of congregation Nglish: Translation of congregation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of congregation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about congregation
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