rhizoverbBeta
DictionarygatheringMeeting
noun / adjective

gathering

GATH-er-ing/ˈɡæðərɪŋ/

The coming together of separate people or materials.

The gardening gathering brings neighbors together around seedlings and tools.

A small community gardening gathering: four neighbors meet around a table with seedlings and garden tools, facing one another and jointly considering the plants.
Etymology
gatherOld Englishunite, assemble
+ingOld Englishact or result

The verb meant to unite or assemble, and its noun named both the act of coming together and the assembled people. A gathering for a shared purpose preserves this collective meaning.

In context

The Father Leo Show2:31
it's a gathering of the meetings of people so that they can just talk about the things that affect their Catholic faith
The Synod on Synodality Explained: Debates on Women, LGBTQ+ Inclusion, and Authority in the Church

More examples

  • The gathering of survey data takes several weeks.
  • Volunteers help with the gathering of supplies for the shelter.
  • The gathering storm darkens the sky over town.

Forms

gathering · gatherings

gather verb — To bring people or things together.

Similar words

meeting
Focuses on people coming together, often for a specific purpose.
collection
Emphasizes bringing things together, rather than people meeting socially.