Meaning & use

congregationalism

noun·Advanced

A system of Protestant church governance in which each local congregation governs itself independently.

See it in a sentence

Congregationalism spread widely among early settlers in colonial New England.

Under congregationalism, no bishop or central authority controls an individual church's decisions.

A note on using this word

Often capitalized when referring to the specific historical denomination rather than the general governance principle.

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “congregationalism”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.