congregational

adjective

con·​gre·​ga·​tion·​al ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shnəl How to pronounce congregational (audio)
-shə-nᵊl
1
: of or relating to a congregation
2
capitalized : of or relating to a body of Protestant churches deriving from the English Independents of the 17th century and affirming the essential importance and the autonomy of the local congregation
3
: of or relating to church government placing final authority in the assembly of the local congregation
congregationalism noun often capitalized
congregationalist noun or adjective often capitalized

Examples of congregational in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When the news broke regarding the lawsuit, Disciples of Christ leadership received both criticism and praise from the public and congregational leadership from its over 3,000 congregations located across the United States and Canada. Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 Accounts of Jewish congregational life in Berlin are mixed with detailed descriptions of the awkwardness and lust that go along with living inside a female teenage body. Troy McMullen, ABC News, 8 June 2025 The trust would redirect funds to train conservative, biblically faithful ministers, support their salaries in struggling churches, and secure congregational autonomy from progressive denominational gatekeepers. The Rev. Jake Dell, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2025 Due to this emphasis on local congregational autonomy, Southeast church’s size and rapid growth is uncommon for the independent Christian Churches fold. Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for congregational

Word History

First Known Use

1639, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of congregational was in 1639

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Congregational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congregational. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

congregational

adjective
con·​gre·​ga·​tion·​al ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shnəl How to pronounce congregational (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to a congregation
2
: of or relating to church government placing final authority in the local congregation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!