{
    "term": "congregation",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a group of people who are gathered together in a church for a religious service, not including the priest and choir",
            "labels": "(North American English)",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The congregation stood to sing the hymn."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The minister led the congregation in a hymn."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The priest stood up to address the congregation."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["large", "small", "local"],
                "verb + congregation": ["address", "lead", "serve"],
                "preposition": ["in a/​the congregation"],
                "phrases": ["a member of a congregation"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a group of people who regularly attend a particular church",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "members of local congregations"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The congregation is/are very diverse in terms of background and ethnicity."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He had established a small congregation in New York City."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a lay minister serving a small rural congregation"
                },
                {
                    "text": "people attending the congregation where she and her family worship"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Religion and festivals"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["large", "small", "local"],
                "verb + congregation": ["address", "lead", "serve"],
                "preposition": ["in a/​the congregation"],
                "phrases": ["a member of a congregation"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a group or collection of people, animals or things",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Large congregations of birds filled the evening skies."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌkɒŋɡrɪˈɡeɪʃn/",
                "audio": "xc/congregation/xcongregation__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌkɑːŋɡrɪˈɡeɪʃn/",
                "audio": "xc/congregation/xcongregation__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "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’)."
}