Translate congregation | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of congregation
noun
1a group of people assembled for religious worship: the singing of psalms by the whole congregation a group of people regularly attending a particular place of worship:he was a member of the Emmanuel Chapel congregation
2a gathering or collection of people, animals, or things:large congregations of birds may cause public harm [mass noun] the action of gathering together in a crowd:drought conditions lead to the congregation of animals around watering points
3 (often Congregation) (in the Roman Catholic Church) a permanent committee of the College of Cardinals:the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith British (in some universities) a general assembly of resident senior members.
4a group of people obeying a common religious rule but under less solemn vows than members of the older religious orders:the sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady a group of communities within a religious order sharing particular historical or regional links.
