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 of congregation

• 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

Working with her camerawoman Tamica, Flynn discovers that the family were members of New Hope Church, a right-wing evangelical congregation. —Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026

By 2011, after a wave of Muslim families traded surging costs in cities like San Francisco and Oakland for bigger homes and yards in Solano County, the green house couldn’t accommodate a congregation that numbered in the low hundreds. —Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2026

Grimsley says his congregation has been challenged and endured a series of setbacks. —Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026

Salem became one of the first churches in Chicago to broadcast its services, which expanded its reach well beyond its in-person congregation. —Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

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