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

The attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, one of the largest synagogue congregations in the country, rocked the community. —Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026

The victims inside Temple Israel, the congregation that had just survived a terror attack on American soil, should have been the complete and total focus. —Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2026

Conservative congregations are different from conservatism in the political sense, Honig explained, but the terms are often conflated. —Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026

Sixteenth Street was prominent among them, though the congregation was initially skeptical. —John Archibald, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 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