congregation

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con·gre·ga·tion / ˌkänggrəˈgāshən/ • n. 1. a group of people assembled for religious worship. ∎  a group of people regularly attending a particular place of worship.2. a gathering or collection of people, animals, or things. ∎  the action of gathering together in a crowd.3. (often Congregation) a council or deliberative body. ∎  (in the Roman Catholic Church) a permanent committee of the College of Cardinals: the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.4. a 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.

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