congregation

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con·gre·ga·tion

(kŏng′grĭ-gā′shən)

1. The act of assembling.

2. A body of assembled people or things; a gathering.

a. A group of people gathered for religious worship.

b. The members of a specific religious group who regularly worship at a church or synagogue.

4. Roman Catholic Church

a. A religious institute in which only simple vows, not solemn vows, are taken.

b. A division of the Curia.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

congregation

(ˌkɒŋɡrɪˈɡeɪʃən)

1. (Ecclesiastical Terms) a group of persons gathered for worship, prayer, etc, esp in a church or chapel

2. the act of congregating or collecting together

3. a group of people, objects, etc, collected together; assemblage

4. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the group of persons habitually attending a given church, chapel, etc

5. (Roman Catholic Church) RC Church

a. a society of persons who follow a common rule of life but who are bound only by simple vows

b. Also called: dicastery an administrative subdivision of the papal curia

c. an administrative committee of bishops for arranging the business of a general council

6. (Education) chiefly Brit an assembly of senior members of a university

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•gre•ga•tion

(ˌkɒŋ grɪˈgeɪ ʃən)

n.

1. an assembly of people brought together or regularly meeting together for common religious worship.

2. the act of congregating or the state of being congregated.

3. a gathered or assembled body; assemblage.

4. an organization for providing church services; a local church society.

5. (in the Old Testament) the people of Israel.

6. (in the New Testament) the Christian Church.

7. (in Roman Catholicism)

a. a committee of cardinals or other ecclesiastics.

b. a community of men or women, either with or without vows, observing a common rule.

[1300–50; < Anglo-French < Latin]

Congregation

an assembly of persons or things; a group of religious persons under a common rule; the Christian Church collectively; those attending a religious service. See also community, confession.

Examples: congregation of holy apostles, 1526; of gaseous atoms, 1883; of birds; of cardinals; of elves, 1809; of fish, 1865; of goods; of hypocrites, 1611; of holy maidens; of monasteries [e.g., Congregation of Cluny]; of oyster and scallop shells, 1717; of people, 1486; of plovers, 1430; of princes, 1539; of fine qualities, 1878; of saints, 1535; of soldiers, 1598; of vapour, 1602; of water, 1526; of winds; of worshippers.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	congregation - a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church faithful, fold social group - people sharing some social relation flock - a church congregation guided by a pastor denomination - a group of religious congregations having its own organization and a distinctive faith
	2.	congregation - an assemblage of people or animals or things collected together; "a congregation of children pleaded for his autograph"; "a great congregation of birds flew over" aggregation, collection, accumulation, assemblage - several things grouped together or considered as a whole
	3.	congregation - the act of congregating congregating gathering, assemblage, assembly - the social act of assembling; "they demanded the right of assembly"

congregation

noun parishioners, host, brethren, crowd, assembly, parish, flock, fellowship, multitude, throng, laity Most members of the congregation arrive a few minutes before the service.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

congregation

noun

A number of persons who have come or been gathered together:

assemblage, assembly, body, company, conclave, conference, congress, convention, convocation, crowd, gathering, group, meeting, muster, troop.

Informal: get-together.

Translations

مَجْمَع، جَماعَةُ المُصَلّين

kongregaceshromáždění

forsamlingmenighed

Ansammlung Gemeinde

congregación feligresía reunión

gyülekezet

mann-/kirkjusöfnuîur

congregazione riunione

kongregácia

congregation

[ˌkɒŋgrɪˈgeɪʃən] N

1. (Rel) → fieles mpl, feligreses mpl

2. (= assembly) → reunión f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

congregation

[ˌkɒŋgrɪˈgeɪʃ^ən] n → assemblée f (des fidèles)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

congregation

→ Versammlung f; (not planned) → Ansammlung f; (= people in cities etc) → Zusammenballung f

(Eccl) → Gemeinde f; (of cardinals) → Kongregation f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

congregation

[ˌkɒŋgrɪˈgeɪʃ/ən] n (worshippers) → assemblea (dei fedeli); (parishioners) → parrocchiani mpl, congregazione f

congregate

(ˈkoŋgrigeit) verb

to come or bring together. A large crowd congregated in the street.

ˌcongreˈgation noun

a group gathered together, especially people in a church for a service, or belonging to a church. The minister visited all the members of his congregation.

References in classic literature ?

I have always liked the quaintness of the church and congregation; besides, I know the Tuckers: I shall go into their pew."

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Entering, I found a small scattered congregation of sailors, and sailors' wives and widows.

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The Holy Deacon did so, and putting the money into his pocket waited till the congregation was dismissed and said goodnight.

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First, during the ceremonies on Good Friday, the day when Christ was crucified, the cross which stood all the year above the altar, bearing the Savior's figure, was taken down and laid beneath the altar, a dramatic symbol of the Death and Burial; and two days later, on 'the third day' of the Bible phraseology, that is on Easter Sunday, as the story of the Resurrection was chanted by the choir, the cross was uncovered and replaced, amid the rejoicings of the congregation. Next, and before the Norman Conquest, the Gospel dialog between the angel and the three Marys at the tomb of Christ came sometimes to be chanted by the choir in those responses which are called 'tropes':

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The congregation being fully assembled, now, the bell rang once more, to warn laggards and stragglers, and then a solemn hush fell upon the church which was only broken by the tittering and whispering of the choir in the gallery.

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His congregation up to Parsonsfield clubbed together and give him that gold watch he carries; I s'pose he'd 'a' handed that over too, only heathens always tell time by the sun 'n' don't need watches.

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Hooper into the meeting-house, and set all the congregation astir.

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And then a whisper ran through the whole congregation, "Who is she?" but when she was discovered, such sneering, gigling, tittering, and laughing ensued among the women, that Mr Allworthy was obliged to exert his authority to preserve any decency among them.

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Every lady in the congregation had received the two photographs as a farewell present.

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The square tower, beneath which she knew that at that moment the Vicar and his congregation were gathered, had a severe look in her eyes.

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He noticed that, whereas the Protestant church was nearly empty and the congregation had a listless air, the Jesuit on the other hand was crowded and the worshippers seemed to pray with all their hearts.

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A small congregation, almost entirely composed of women, were scattered here and there among the pews.