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synod - 5 dictionary results

syn⋅od

  [sin-uhd]
Use synod in a Sentence
–noun
1. an assembly of ecclesiastics or other church delegates, convoked pursuant to the law of the church, for the discussion and decision of ecclesiastical affairs; ecclesiastical council.
2. any council.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L synodus < Gk sýnodos meeting, equiv. to syn- syn- + (h)odós way

Related forms:
syn⋅od⋅al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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syn·od   (sĭn'əd)   
n.  
  1. A council or an assembly of church officials or churches; an ecclesiastical council.
  2. A council or an assembly.

[Middle English, from Latin synodus, from Greek sunodos, meeting, assembly : sun-, syn- + hodos, way, course.]
syn'od·al (sĭn'ə-dl) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Synod

Syn"od\ (s[i^]n"[u^]d), n. [L. synodus, Gr. sy`nodos a meeting; sy`n with + "odo`s a way; cf. AS. sino[eth], seno[eth], F. synode, both from the Latin.]

1. (Eccl. Hist.) An ecclesiastic council or meeting to consult on church matters.

Note: Synods are of four kinds: 1. General, or ecumenical, which are composed of bishops from different nations; -- commonly called general council. 2. National, composed of bishops of one nation only. 3. Provincial, in which the bishops of only one province meet; -- called also convocations. 4. Diocesan, a synod in which the bishop of the diocese or his representative presides. Among Presbyterians, a synod is composed of several adjoining presbyteries. The members are the ministers and a ruling elder from each parish.

2. An assembly or council having civil authority; a legislative body.

It hath in solemn synods been decreed, Both by the Syracusians and ourselves, To admit no traffic to our adverse towns. --Shak.

Parent of gods and men, propitious Jove! And you, bright synod of the powers above. --Dryden.

3. (Astron.) A conjunction of two or more of the heavenly bodies. [R.] --Milton.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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synod 
1387, "ecclesiastical council," from L.L. synodus, from Gk. synodos "assembly, meeting, conjunction of planets," from syn- "together" + hodos "a going, a way" (see cede). Used by Presbyterians for "assembly of ministers and other elders" from 1593 to c.1920, when replaced by General Council.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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synod

(from Greek synodos, "assembly"), in the Christian church, a local or provincial assembly of bishops and other church officials meeting to resolve questions of discipline or administration.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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