synod

(sinəd)

noun

  1. an ecclesiastical council; specif.,
    1. R.C.Ch. a regional or international meeting of bishops; also, a meeting of diocesan priests, the diocesan bishop presiding
    2. Eastern Orthodox Ch. Holy Synod
  2. a high governing body in certain Christian churches; specif.,
    1. a Presbyterian governing body ranking between the general assembly and presbytery
    2. a national or district organization of Lutheran or certain other Protestant churches
  3. a district governed or represented by a Protestant synod
  4. any assembly or council

Origin: ME, altered (after LL) < OE sinoth < LL(Ec) synodus < LGr(Ec) synodos, church synod < Gr, a meeting, lit., a coming together < syn-, together + hodos, way: see -ode

Related Forms:

See synod in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. A council or an assembly of church officials or churches; an ecclesiastical council.
  2. A council or an assembly.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Latin synodus

Origin: , from Greek sunodos, meeting, assembly

Origin: : sun-, syn-

Origin: + hodos, way, course

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Related Forms:

  • synˈod·al (sĭnˈə-dl) adjective

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