different between congress vs congregation

English

Etymology

From Latin congressum, the past participle of congredior (“I go, come together”), itself from con- + gradior (“I go, step”). The verb is from the noun.

Pronunciation

• (noun:)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?????s/, /-??s/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k??????s/
• (verb:)
  • IPA^(key): /k?n????s/, /k??????s/

Noun

congress (countable and uncountable, plural congresses)

1. (archaic) A coming together of two or more people; a meeting.
   • , New York Review of Books, 2001, p.48:

     After some little repast, he went to see Democritus […]. The multitude stood gazing round about to see the congress.

2. A formal gathering or assembly; a conference held to discuss or decide on a specific question.
3. (often capitalized: Congress) A legislative body of a state, originally the bicameral legislature of the United States of America.
4. An association, especially one consisting of other associations or representatives of interest groups.

   The National Congress of American Indians

5. (dated) Coitus; sexual intercourse.

Synonyms

• (legislative body) assembly, legislature, parliament
• (association) federation

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

congress (third-person singular simple present congresses, present participle congressing, simple past and past participle congressed)

1. (intransitive) To assemble together.
2. To meet in a congress.

English

Etymology

From Old French congregacion, from Latin congreg?ti?, itself from congreg? (“to herd into a flock”). Adopted c. 1340, by the English Bible translator William Tyndale, to render the Ancient Greek ???????? (ekkl?sía, “those called together, (popular) meeting”) (hence Latin eccl?sia) in his New Testament, and preferred by 16th century Reformers instead of church.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k???????e???n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k???????e???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n
• Hyphenation: con?gre?ga?tion

Noun

congregation (countable and uncountable, plural congregations)

1. The act of congregating or collecting together.
2. A gathering of faithful in a temple, church, synagogue, mosque or other place of worship. It can also refer to the people who are present at a devotional service in the building, particularly in contrast to the pastor, minister, imam, rabbi etc. and/or choir, who may be seated apart from the general congregation or lead the service (notably in responsory form).
3. A Roman Congregation, a main department of the Vatican administration of the Catholic Church.
4. A corporate body whose members gather for worship, or the members of such a body.
5. Any large gathering of people.
6. A group of eagles.
7. (Britain, Oxford University) The main body of university staff, comprising academics, administrative staff, heads of colleges, etc.

Derived terms

• congregational
• congregationalism

Related terms

• congregant
• congregate
• congregator
• gregarious

Translations