synagogue

noun

syn·​a·​gogue ˈsi-nə-ˌgäg 

variants or less commonly synagog

1

: a Jewish congregation

2

: the house of worship and communal center of a Jewish congregation

synagogal

ˌsi-nə-ˈgä-gəl 

adjective

Examples of synagogue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The first to testify was Eric Olshan, the former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania who prosecuted the Tree of Life synagogue shooter. —Sara Colb, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2025

The coalition includes synagogues in places like West Newton, Mass., San Francisco and the Upper West Side of New York, along with J Street, a pro-Israel advocacy group. —Anemona Hartocollis, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025

The training the rabbi credits with saving his Texas synagogue in 2022 came from a broader community initiative whose federal funding is in limbo. —Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 20 Mar. 2025

Last week, Jewish Syrians returned to their Damascus neighborhood and held public prayers in a synagogue for the first time in decades. —Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English synagoge, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin synagoga, from Greek synagōgē assembly, synagogue, from synagein to bring together, from syn- + agein to lead — more at agent

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for synagogue

• analog
• analogue
• catalogue
• decalogue
• demagogue
• dialogue
• epilogue
• homologue
• monologue
• pedagogue
• tagalog
• travelogue

Kids Definition

synagogue

noun

syn·​a·​gogue

variants also synagog

ˈsin-ə-ˌgäg 

1

: a Jewish congregation

2

: the house of worship of a Jewish congregation

Etymology

Middle English synagoge "a Jewish congregation," from early French synagoge (same meaning), from Latin synagoga (same meaning), from Greek synagōgē "synagogue, assembly," from synagein "to bring together," from syn- "together with" and agein "to lead" — related to synonymous