congregation

noun

con·​gre·​ga·​tion ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce congregation (audio)
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.

Examples of congregation in a Sentence

The priest addressed the congregation. She is a member of a small congregation.
Recent Examples on the Web The church has a Black pastor and serves a predominately Black congregation, according to the release. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 Taraweeh prayers are performed every night of Ramadan in a congregation. Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 The congregation has no bylaws, Smith has acknowledged, so there isn’t a rulebook laying out the process for attempting to dismiss a pastor. Frank E. Lockwood, arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2024 The Black church, a term that refers to a congregation that falls under one of the seven major black Protestant denominations, has a deep rooted history of supporting Black history education and civil rights advocacy. Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 For about the last decade, the congregation partnered with Bienvenidos Food Bank off Pecos Street in northwest Denver to collect food and essentials for those in need. Matthew Geiger, The Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2024 The Broadway Temple synagogue was at Sixth and Broadway before the congregation moved to Mound Street, and the building was sold to the Allen Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 Wulf’s congregation has been out of its historic home since Feb. 1, the pastor said. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Pastor Samm Melton-Hill said the congregation is still figuring out what to do with the proceeds from the sale, but expects some of the funds to be used for community grants for those in need. Matthew Geiger, The Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'congregation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see congregate entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of congregation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near congregation

Cite this Entry

“Congregation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congregation. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

congregation

noun
con·​gre·​ga·​tion ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce congregation (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on congregation

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