synod

Meaning

1. An ecclesiastic council or meeting to consult on church matters.
2. 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
3. An assembly or council having civil authority; a legislative body.
4. A conjunction of two or more of the heavenly bodies.

Synonyms

council

convention

convocation

assembly

session

ecclesiastical council

church council

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈsɪn.əd/

Etymology

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