congregation

noun

con·​gre·​ga·​tion ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shən 

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.

Synonyms

• church

Examples of congregation in a Sentence

The priest addressed the congregation.

She is a member of a small congregation.

Recent Examples on the Web

On Thursday, a quiet congregation gathered for Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, just blocks away from the site where protesters gathered to oppose immigration raids last month. —Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025

In Tempe, a developer has agreed to restore and preserve a vacant historic church while building on the adjacent land, and throughout the Valley many church congregations have had to grapple with selling their buildings as membership dwindles. —Corina Vanek, AZCentral.com, 7 July 2025

The Lafayette Road congregation is a branch of the Sure Foundation Baptist Church in Vancouver, Washington, which grew out of Verity Baptist Church in Sacramento, California. —Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 4 July 2025

The Presbyterian Church is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, and has a few dozen congregations in Idaho, including a handful in the Treasure Valley, according to a church directory. —Angela Palermo july 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

see congregate entry 1

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for congregation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

congregation

noun

con·​gre·​ga·​tion ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shən 

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