synod

noun

syn·​od ˈsi-nəd 

 also  -ˌnäd

1

: an ecclesiastical governing or advisory council: such as

a

: an assembly of bishops in the Roman Catholic Church

b

: the governing assembly of an Episcopal province

c

: a Presbyterian governing body ranking between the presbytery and the general assembly

d

: a regional or national organization of Lutheran congregations

2

: the ecclesiastical district governed by a synod

synodal

ˈsi-nə-dᵊl 

-ˌnä-;

sə-ˈnä-dᵊl 

adjective

Examples of synod in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So too has his radical approach to inclusivity that welcomed the non-ordained faithful, including members of the LGBTQ+ community and lay women, to sit with bishops and contribute their thoughts on issues of church doctrine in meetings called synods. —Aryn Baker, Time, 9 May 2025

Recent synods have broached sensitive questions—like welcoming LGBTQ Catholics or expanding women's roles in ministry—which alarms those who say too much decentralization risks confusion and division. —Christopher Hale, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025

The rapprochement between the Vatican and China was on display at a conference in Rome last year, marking a century since a papal envoy, Cardinal Celso Costantini, convened an official synod of church leaders on the Chinese mainland that led to the appointment of six indigenous Chinese bishops. —Victor Gaetan, Foreign Affairs, 25 Apr. 2025

These changes between 2016-2023 were a huge difference from synods under Francis’ predecessors, Reese said. —Liam Adams, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sinod, from Late Latin synodus, from Late Greek synodos, from Greek, meeting, assembly, from syn- + hodos way, journey

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

synod

noun

syn·​od ˈsin-əd 

1

: a meeting of church leaders

2

: the governing or advisory council of a church

synodal

ˈsin-əd-ᵊl 

adjective

synodical

sə-ˈnäd-i-kəl

adjective