Congregation word meaning and definition

[noun] the act of congregating
[noun] 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"
[noun] a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church

\Con`gre*ga"tion\, n. [L. congregatio: cf. F. congr['e]gation.] 1. The act of congregating, or bringing together, or of collecting into one aggregate or mass. The means of reduction in the fire is but by the congregation of homogeneal parts. --Bacon. 2. A collection or mass of separate things. A foul and pestilent congregation of vapors. --Shak. 3. An assembly of persons; a gathering; esp. an assembly of persons met for the worship of God, and for religious instruction; a body of people who habitually so meet. He [Bunyan] rode every year to London, and preached there to large and attentive congregations. --Macaulay. 4. (Anc. Jewish Hist.) The whole body of the Jewish people; -- called also {Congregation of the Lord}. It is a sin offering for the congregation. --Lev. iv. 21. 5. (R. C. Ch.)
(a) A body of cardinals or other ecclesiastics to whom as intrusted some department of the church business; as, the Congregation of the Propaganda, which has charge of the missions of the Roman Catholic Church.
(b) A company of religious persons forming a subdivision of a monastic order. 6. The assemblage of Masters and Doctors at Oxford or Cambrige University, mainly for the granting of degrees. [Eng.] 7. (Scotch Church Hist.) the name assumed by the Protestant party under John Knox. The leaders called themselves (1557) Lords of the Congregation.

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