/ ˌkɒŋgrɪˈgeɪʃn; NAmE ˌkɑːŋ-/ noun [ C +sing./pl. v . ]
1.
a group of people who are gathered together in a church to worship God, not including the priest and choir :
The congregation stood to sing the hymn.
2.
the group of people who belong to a particular church and go there regularly to worship
► con·gre·ga·tion·al / -ʃənl; NAmE / adjective
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English in the more general sense of a gathering: from Latin congregatio(n-) , from congregare collect (into a flock), from con- together + gregare (from grex , greg- a flock).