1
as in churches
a body of persons gathered for religious worship
the whole congregation began to sing with great fervor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in assemblies
a body of people come together in one place
a congregation of journalists were at the hotel bar, discussing the latest developments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of congregations
To get assistance regarding the many aspects of closing a synagogue, the Congregation Bene Shalom Board worked with the Jewish Community Legacy Project, which offers support to small Jewish congregations.
—
Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
At the same time, many progressive church leaders, facing dwindling congregations and general public apathy, have become more careful about appearing partisan in any way, which has allowed right-wing Christian nationalism to define the conversation about religion and politics.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
In a state where some Christian congregations are so large that churches use local law enforcement to help direct traffic, synagogues are scarcer sights.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
Those people, thousands of whom have been resettled in Connecticut since the fall of Kabul in 2021, have built lives here with the help of volunteers from immigrants’ groups, church congregations and veterans.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2026
Gregg held interim pastorates at several other Chicago-area congregations, including the Community Church of Wilmette, the South Church of Mount Prospect, the North Shore Baptist Church in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood and the United Church of Hyde Park.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
Scripture over politics Within her diocese, one of three in the state, Perry said 75% of congregations grew in the past year.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 13 Dec. 2025
With the last night of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve falling on the same day this year – something that rarely happens – the reverend and rabbi choose to offer a joint service for their congregations.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Dec. 2025
Rolling into Black congregations with a gospel choir featuring a preponderance of non-Black singers meant that the group had to feel the spirit.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
At the same time, many progressive church leaders, facing dwindling congregations and general public apathy, have become more careful about appearing partisan in any way, which has allowed right-wing Christian nationalism to define the conversation about religion and politics.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
In a state where some Christian congregations are so large that churches use local law enforcement to help direct traffic, synagogues are scarcer sights.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
Those people, thousands of whom have been resettled in Connecticut since the fall of Kabul in 2021, have built lives here with the help of volunteers from immigrants’ groups, church congregations and veterans.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2026
Gregg held interim pastorates at several other Chicago-area congregations, including the Community Church of Wilmette, the South Church of Mount Prospect, the North Shore Baptist Church in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood and the United Church of Hyde Park.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
Scripture over politics Within her diocese, one of three in the state, Perry said 75% of congregations grew in the past year.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 13 Dec. 2025
With the last night of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve falling on the same day this year – something that rarely happens – the reverend and rabbi choose to offer a joint service for their congregations.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Dec. 2025
Rolling into Black congregations with a gospel choir featuring a preponderance of non-Black singers meant that the group had to feel the spirit.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for congregations
Noun
-
Those churches serve as the focal points of the resilience corridor.—
Nakell Williams,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Before production, Nierenberg, who is white, spent more than a year in African American churches and communities, gaining the trust of the performers.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This enables the humanoid to perform both delicate and forceful tasks with exceptional precision, stability, and adaptability, allowing for reliable handling of tools, components, and complex assemblies.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
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San Lorenzo Valley Unified Superintendent Chris Schiermeyer said the district provided staff training after the hand puppet and flag incident and plans to hold 10 student assemblies on Jewish identity and history with the Anne Frank Center USA.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Those types of agreements are permitted in part by the settlement between the NCAA, power conferences and current and former D-I athletes represented by the House, Carter and Hubbard antitrust litigations.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Indianapolis conferences often draw law enforcement As a popular site for conventions and conferences, downtown Indianapolis in particular can be a hotbed for rumors.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Non-Orientable Nkansa, 2017, one of his earliest large-scale installations, announced his dedication to monumental assemblages that fixate on negligence and crumbling edifices.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
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His artworks, which include paintings, sculptures, mixed-media assemblages, mosaics, photographs, and film, are full of mood and foreboding.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Pay Attention supports meetings and conversations with real-time transcription and translation when enabled.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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Instead, Republican staffers sullenly reported to messaging meetings to talk about immigration.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That turn lane now is part of what the village calls the Sloan Triangle, an area that would become a large part of the plaza and used for gatherings.—
Chuck Fieldman,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Here is a chronological look at those three gatherings, followed by a quick list of other places to hear jazz and jazz-adjacent music in the next couple of months.—
Ben Crandell,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Congregations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/congregations. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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