Congregation,

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Congregation \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.
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              The means of reduction in the fire is but by the
              congregation of homogeneal parts.     --Bacon.
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     2. A collection or mass of separate things.
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              A foul and pestilent congregation of vapors. --Shak.
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     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.
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              He [Bunyan] rode every year to London, and preached
              there to large and attentive congregations.
                                                    --Macaulay.
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     4. (Anc. Jewish Hist.) The whole body of the Jewish people;
        -- called also {Congregation of the Lord}.
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              It is a sin offering for the congregation. --Lev.
                                                    iv. 21.
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     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.
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     6. The assemblage of Masters and Doctors at Oxford or
        Cambrige University, mainly for the granting of degrees.
        [Eng.]
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     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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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  congregation
       n 1: a group of people who adhere to a common faith and
            habitually attend a given church [syn: {fold}, {faithful}]
       2: 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"
       3: the act of congregating [syn: {congregating}]

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Congregation
     (Heb. kahal), the Hebrew people collectively as a holy community
     (Num. 15:15). Every circumcised Hebrew from twenty years old and
     upward was a member of the congregation. Strangers resident in
     the land, if circumcised, were, with certain exceptions (Ex.
     12:19; Num. 9:14; Deut. 23:1-3), admitted to the privileges of
     citizenship, and spoken of as members of the congregation (Ex.
     12:19; Num. 9:14; 15:15). The congregation were summonded
     together by the sound of two silver trumpets, and they met at
     the door of the tabernacle (Num. 10:3). These assemblies were
     convened for the purpose of engaging in solemn religious
     services (Ex. 12:27; Num. 25:6; Joel 2:15), or of receiving new
     commandments (Ex. 19:7, 8). The elders, who were summonded by
     the sound of one trumpet (Num. 10:4), represented on various
     occasions the whole congregation (Ex. 3:16; 12:21; 17:5; 24:1).
     
       After the conquest of Canaan, the people were assembled only
     on occasions of the highest national importance (Judg. 20; 2
     Chr. 30:5; 34:29; 1 Sam. 10:17; 2 Sam. 5:1-5; 1 Kings 12:20; 2
     Kings 11:19; 21:24; 23:30). In subsequent times the congregation
     was represented by the Sanhedrim; and the name synagogue,
     applied in the Septuagint version exclusively to the
     congregation, came to be used to denote the places of worship
     established by the Jews. (See {CHURCH}.)
     
       In Acts 13:43, where alone it occurs in the New Testament, it
     is the same word as that rendered "synagogue" (q.v.) in ver. 42,
     and is so rendered in ver. 43 in R.V.