noun
congregation
kongg-rih-GAY-shuhn
noun
1
The group of people gathered for worship at a church, synagogue, mosque, or other place of worship.
"The congregation stood to sing the closing hymn."
2
Any large gathering of people or things.
"A congregation of reporters waited outside the courtroom."
How to Use Congregation
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe people who gather to worship together — or, more loosely, any crowd.
Common pairings
the congregation of a church
address the congregation
Word Forms
congregations plural
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The _____ stood to sing the closing hymn.
Etymology
From Latin congregatio, from congregare ("to gather into a flock"); adopted by 16th-century Bible translator William Tyndale to render the Greek word for a "gathering of the faithful".