the act of congregating, or bringing together, or of collecting into one aggregate or mass.-a collection or mass of separate things.-an assembly of persons; a gathering; esp. an assembly of persons met for the worship of god, and for religious instruction; a body of people who habitually so meet.-the whole body of the jewish people; -- called also congregation of the lord.-a body of cardinals or other ecclesiastics to whom as intrusted some department of the church business; as, the congregation of the propaganda, which has charge of the missions of the roman catholic church.-a company of religious persons forming a subdivision of a monastic order.-the assemblage of masters and doctors at oxford or cambrige university, mainly for the granting of degrees.-the name assumed by the protestant party under john knox. the leaders called themselves (1557) lords of the congregation.