Synod

//ˈsɪn.əd// noun

noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An ecclesiastic council or meeting to consult on church matters.

    "Addressing a number of previously taboo topics, this synod could result in several liberalizing reforms, though there is no guarantee that it will produce anything at all."

  2. 2
    a council convened to discuss ecclesiastical business wordnet
  3. 3
    An administrative division of churches, either the entire denomination, as in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, or a mid-level division (middle judicatory, district) as in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  4. 4
    An assembly or council having civil authority (formal); a legislative body.

    "It hath in solemn synods been decreed."

  5. 5
    A conjunction of two or more of the heavenly bodies.

Synonyms

All synonyms
advisory bodyarchbishopricarchdioceseassembleeassemblyassignation

Example

More examples

"Pope Francis has opened a synod that, this time, includes lay people and women."

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σύνοδος (súnodos, “assembly, meeting”) – from σύν (sún, “with”) (English syn-) + ὁδός (hodós, “way, path”). Compare also with the term סַנְהֶדְרִין (“sanhedrin”) common throughout Hebrew Talmudic literature.

Related phrases

general synodholy synodheavenly body

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.