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

At previous synods, women were only allowed more marginal roles of observers or experts, literally seated in the last row of the audience hall while the bishops and cardinals took the front rows and voted. —Nicole Winfield and Trisha Thomas, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2023

In the Polish Pope’s world view, anti-Communism and traditionalism were inextricably combined; for him, renewal had spread out of control, and the regional synods were part of the problem. —Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2023

Vatican summit tackles women’s ordination with a nod from Pope Francis Vatican synods — held in the past with only bishops and cardinals as voting members — tend to convene two to three times per decade. —Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2023

Inside the synod auditorium, laypeople sat at round tables alongside cardinals and bishops, rather than in the upper back row of the Vatican's audience hall as in previous synods. —Nicole Winfield The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2023

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