congregation

/ˌkɒŋɡrɪˈɡeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːŋɡrɪˈɡeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shən/ (ame, mw)

congregation — noun

  • congregationsingular
  • congregationsplural

1. the people who gather in a church, temple, mosque, or other place of worship to

1.名詞B1
釋義

the people who gather in a church, temple, mosque, or other place of worship to take part in a religious service together

例句

The pastor welcomed the congregation and asked everyone to open their hymn books.

congregation as the recipient of a speaker's welcome

After the Sunday service, the congregation gathered in the hall for tea and biscuits.

congregation + gather (collocation for post-service activity)

同義詞
  • parishioners

    more specific — refers to the members of a particular church district or parish

  • flock

    metaphorical and pastoral — used mainly by church leaders ('the pastor's flock')

  • assembly

    more neutral — can be religious or non-religious; less personal than 'congregation'

文法句型

congregation + singular/plural verb

用法筆記

In British English, 'congregation' can take a singular or plural verb (e.g., 'the congregation was/were…'). American English prefers the singular. The word refers to the people, not the building.

常見錯誤

❌The congregation was held in a large building.
✅The service was held in a large building where the congregation gathered.
💡'Congregation' refers to the people, not the event or building.

2. a group of living beings or objects that are situated together in the same place

2.名詞B2
釋義

a group of living beings or objects that are situated together in the same place

例句

A congregation of starlings gathered on the wires above the park before sunset.

congregation of + animals (birds)

Daichi looked out at the congregation of students and parents gathered in the school gymnasium.

同義詞
  • gathering

    more general and common; less formal than 'congregation'

  • assemblage

    more formal; can refer to both people and objects

  • collection

    best for objects or things; less natural for people

文法句型

congregation of + plural noun

用法筆記

This sense is broader than sense 1 and can refer to any assembled collection — people, animals, or objects. The religious connotation is absent here, so context must make the meaning clear.

常見錯誤

❌A congregation of people waited for the train.' (natural but many learners assume 'congregation' is only religious)
✅A crowd of people waited for the train.
💡For non-religious gatherings of people, 'crowd' or 'group' is more natural than 'congregation' in everyday English.

3. the action or process through which people or things collect in a single place,

3.名詞C1
釋義

the action or process through which people or things collect in a single place, or the condition of having gathered together

例句

The congregation of refugees at the border created a difficult situation for aid workers.

formal register: the congregation of + displaced people

Scientists studied the congregation of sea turtles on the beach during the nesting season.

同義詞
  • assembly

    can mean both the act of assembling and the assembled group; more common in formal writing

  • convergence

    emphasises movement toward a common point from different directions

  • gathering

    more general and less formal; more common in everyday English

文法句型

the congregation of + plural noun

用法筆記

This sense is almost always preceded by 'the' and is followed by 'of + noun'. Unlike sense 1 and 2, it names the action or process itself rather than the assembled group. It belongs to formal or academic registers.

常見錯誤

❌There was a congregation outside the cinema.' (ambiguous between sense 2 and sense 3)
✅The congregation of moviegoers outside the cinema was noisy.
💡Using 'of' makes the structure clear as a formal process noun.