[con.gre.ga.tion] n (14c) 1 a: an assembly of persons: gathering; esp: an assembly of persons met for worship and religious instruction b: a religious community: as (1): an organized body of believers in a particular locality (2): a Roman Catholic religious institute with only simple vows (3): a group of monasteries forming an independent subdivision of an order
2: the act or an instance of congregating or bringing together: the state of being congregated
3: a body of cardinals and officials forming an administrative division of the papal curia