CONGREGATION, n.
1. The act of bringing together, or assembling.
2. A collection or assemblage of separate things as a congregation of vapors.
3. More generally, an assembly or persons and appropriately, an assembly of persons met for the worship of God, and for religious instruction.
4. An assembly of rulers. Numbers 35 .
5. An assembly of ecclesiastics or cardinals appointed by the pope as the congregation of the holy office, &c. Also, a company or society of religious cantoned out of an order.
6. An academical assembly for transacting business of the university.