congregational

adjective

con·​gre·​ga·​tion·​al ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shnəl How to pronounce congregational (audio)
-shə-nᵊl
1
: of or relating to a congregation
2
capitalized : of or relating to a body of Protestant churches deriving from the English Independents of the 17th century and affirming the essential importance and the autonomy of the local congregation
3
: of or relating to church government placing final authority in the assembly of the local congregation
congregationalism noun often capitalized
congregationalist noun or adjective often capitalized

Examples of congregational in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nicole Sidman, a former teacher and lawyer who now works as congregational life director for Temple Beth El in Charlotte, has tens of thousands in cash for her quest to secure her party’s nomination in House District 105, according to her most recent campaign finance report. Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024 Sidman now serves as director of congregational life for Temple Beth El in Charlotte. Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 8 Feb. 2024 Male cicadas synchronize their calls and produce congregational songs, according to Britannica, which establish territory and attract females. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024 And there is comfort to be found within the boundaries of that Torah: Shabbat calm, congregational harmonies, family gatherings to celebrate seasonal festivals. Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 There will be congregational carol singing during the intermezzi between scenes. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Dec. 2023 Sister Ann Lacour, U.S. congregational leader of the Marianites of Holy Cross, confirmed the development to the newspaper in a phone interview. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 31 Aug. 2022 It’s observed with congregational gatherings all throughout the month of Muharram, but particularly from the 7th to the 10th of Muharram. Manal Aman, Good Housekeeping, 13 June 2023 After John Lant, a convert to Islam and co-founder of First Society for the Study of Islam in America, made the adhan, a congregational prayer was held before the group proceeded with the society’s first meeting. Leila Tarakji, The Conversation, 21 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'congregational.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1639, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of congregational was in 1639

Dictionary Entries Near congregational

Cite this Entry

“Congregational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congregational. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

congregational

adjective
con·​gre·​ga·​tion·​al ˌkäŋ-gri-ˈgā-shnəl How to pronounce congregational (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to a congregation
2
: of or relating to church government placing final authority in the local congregation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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