synod
noun
syn·od
| \ ˈsi-nəd also -ˌnäd
\
\
Definition of synod
1
: an ecclesiastical governing or advisory council: such as
a
: an assembly of bishops in the Roman Catholic Church
b
: the governing assembly of an Episcopal province
c
: a Presbyterian governing body ranking between the presbytery and the general assembly
d
: a regional or national organization of Lutheran congregations
2
: the ecclesiastical district governed by a synod
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Other Words from synod
synodal
\ ˈsi-nə-dᵊl
, -ˌnä- ; sə-ˈnä-dᵊl \
adjective
, -ˌnä- ; sə-ˈnä-dᵊl \
adjective
Examples of synod in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The trial was convened as a synod with all the cardinals, bishops, and other ecclesiastical dignitaries in full attendance. — National Geographic, "In 897, the corpse of a pope was exhumed—to be put on trial.," 20 Aug. 2019 Davenport serves as the synod’s director of evangelical mission and as an assistant to the bishop. — Kristin E. Holmes, Philly.com, "S.E. Pa. Lutheran Synod elects first African American woman as bishop in denomination history," 7 May 2018 Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary-general of the synod, didn’t respond to a request for comment. — Francis X. Rocca, WSJ, "Sex Abuse Looms Over Planned Vatican Meeting," 6 Sep. 2018 Another split between developed and developing countries at this month’s synod emerged in the debate over the church’s approach to gay people. — Francis X. Rocca, WSJ, "Pope Decries ‘Persecution’ of Catholic Church Through Accusations," 27 Oct. 2018 In the past, synods have been talkfests by churchmen who made nonbinding proposals to the pope to consider in a future document. — Nicole Winfield, Fox News, "Pope gives bishops more decision-making options," 18 Sep. 2018 On Tuesday, the Vatican released the details of the upcoming bishops' synod, or meeting, the third in a series of major global gatherings about the family. — Michelle Boorstein, chicagotribune.com, "For what's believed to be the first time, the Vatican uses the term 'LGBT' in official document," 20 June 2018 The Vatican tightly controls the agenda at synods, restricting opportunities for spontaneous interventions by bishops. — Francis X. Rocca, WSJ, "Sex Abuse Looms Over Planned Vatican Meeting," 6 Sep. 2018 On Tuesday, the Vatican released the details of the bishops’ synod, or meeting, the third in major global gatherings about the family. — Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, "For what’s believed to be the first time, the Vatican uses the term ‘LGBT’ in official document," 20 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'synod.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for synod
synod
noun
English Language Learners Definition of synod
: a formal meeting of church leaders
: a group of church leaders who are in charge of making decisions and laws related to the church
See the full definition for synod in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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