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

• 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 in collaboration of the National Trust for Historic Places, the National Fund for Sacred Places each year provides matching grants of between $50,000 and $500,000 to congregations undertaking significant capital campaigns. —Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025

Hughes believed Wallace shared his goals to attract a younger congregation and to reinvigorate their battered institution. —Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025

To honor the release of the hostages, Alter's congregation tied a yellow band around the Torah scroll during a service for a holiday marking the end of the annual cycle of Torah readings. —Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025

Plus, their father was the deacon of the local Catholic congregation – all the more reason to maintain a saintly lifestyle. —Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 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