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
Late in his life, Dollison delivered sermons for Church of Christ congregations in Rector, Greenway and Jonesboro, as well as in the Missouri communities of Leachville and Campbell.
—
Arkansas Online, 25 Apr. 2026
The Single Friendly Church Network found that when congregations conducted demographic audits, many were surprised by the results.
—Peter McGraw, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
The change lets these entities partner with developers without needing special waivers from local government, though some officials and religious leaders have raised concerns about long-term impacts on congregations.
—Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
Most of the state’s 762,000 Jews reside in three South Florida counties — eclipsing much older congregations in Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Pensacola that thrived long before the advent of air-conditioning and interstate highways.
—Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
The nonprofit was originally incorporated in 1972, as 28 congregations and faith communities across Dakota County came together to create the Community Action Council.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
These congregations just completely dispense with any allegiance to the American idea of pluralism or anything but White Christian nationalism.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
The trend is even more pronounced in rural America, where aging populations and the relocations of residents has hit congregations hard.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries has created similar congregations in Rwanda and Uganda, but the Ugandan congregation went entirely online after an even harsher anti-gay bill was passed in March 2023.
—Sarah Hurtes, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Arkansas Online, 25 Apr. 2026
The Single Friendly Church Network found that when congregations conducted demographic audits, many were surprised by the results.
—Peter McGraw, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
The change lets these entities partner with developers without needing special waivers from local government, though some officials and religious leaders have raised concerns about long-term impacts on congregations.
—Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
Most of the state’s 762,000 Jews reside in three South Florida counties — eclipsing much older congregations in Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Pensacola that thrived long before the advent of air-conditioning and interstate highways.
—Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
The nonprofit was originally incorporated in 1972, as 28 congregations and faith communities across Dakota County came together to create the Community Action Council.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
These congregations just completely dispense with any allegiance to the American idea of pluralism or anything but White Christian nationalism.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
The trend is even more pronounced in rural America, where aging populations and the relocations of residents has hit congregations hard.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries has created similar congregations in Rwanda and Uganda, but the Ugandan congregation went entirely online after an even harsher anti-gay bill was passed in March 2023.
—Sarah Hurtes, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for congregations
Noun
-
National headlines report churches seeing an uptick in converts and attendance and trends on social media, especially among younger men.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland announced that more than a dozen churches in the East Bay will be closing amid ongoing financial woes.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of Sasson's first assignments was to create a control system for a machine that cleaned slide projector lens assemblies.—
Marcia Greenwood,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
All of this while vehicles are increasingly being designed as unified systems rather than assemblies of parts.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over time, collectives have morphed from mass fundraising operations to resemble marketing agencies amid policing by the College Sports Commission, an independent regulatory body established by the power conferences.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Apr. 2026
-
More than a few of the teams included in that hypothetical opening round are from conferences whose champions have pulled off NCAA Tournament upsets in recent years.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That leads to longer build times as those complicated parts are sewn together with assemblages of other, smaller parts, before being shipped across the ocean, and eventually trucked to the final construction site.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Though many were faded and dusty, the assemblages nevertheless crackled with an almost urgent vibrancy, beckoning the viewer closer.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Geopolitics aside, central bank meetings are a key focus as the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and peers in Japan, the UK and Canada are all scheduled to decide on policy.—
Ashutosh Joshi,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Eventually, the meetings adjourned and turned into a social occasion.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Nuremberg rallies were simply political stage plays, with music from Wagner, drums, symmetrical marching formations, red flags, and gatherings often held in darkness to heighten the mood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Without a doubt, guests would never get such a light touch there, where the security protocol for large gatherings calls for checkpoints—sometimes several of them, including mandatory ID checks and physical screening.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Congregations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/congregations. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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