gathering

gathering — noun

1. A planned or unplanned event where people meet as a group for a shared reason —

1.nounA2
Definition

A planned or unplanned event where people meet as a group for a shared reason — such as a birthday party, a religious service, or a political rally.

Example

Théo's mother organised a family gathering to celebrate his grandmother's ninetieth birthday.

family gathering — common collocation for social events

A large gathering of cyclists meets in the town square every Saturday morning.

large gathering of + group noun

Common collocations
  • family gathering
  • social gathering
  • large gathering
  • public gathering
  • annual gathering
  • political gathering
  • informal gathering
  • a gathering of friends
Synonyms
  • meeting

    broader term; less festive and can be for work

  • assembly

    more formal; often for official, political, or school purposes

  • get-together

    informal; usually small and social

Antonyms
  • dispersal

    the act of people moving apart in different directions

Grammar Patterns

adjective + gathering

gathering + of + plural noun

Usage Note

Frequently paired with an adjective that describes the type or size of the event (family gathering, political gathering, large gathering). The preposition 'of' introduces the participants: a gathering of friends.

Common Mistakes

I went to a gathering of information yesterday.
I went to a family gathering yesterday.
The 'people' sense of 'gathering' refers to an event, not to collecting things.
There was gathering in the hall.
There was a gathering in the hall.
In the 'people' sense, 'gathering' is countable and needs a determiner.

2. The activity of finding and taking something from where it naturally exists or i

2.nounB2
Definition

The activity of finding and taking something from where it naturally exists or is spread out, such as collecting wild plants, fruit, firewood, or information from various places.

Example

Mushroom gathering in the forest behind his house took Cyrus the whole morning.

compound noun: mushroom gathering

The gathering of data for the climate study required the research team several months.

gathering of + noun — uncountable use

Common collocations
  • data gathering
  • information gathering
  • food gathering
  • mushroom gathering
  • honey gathering
  • the gathering of evidence
  • the gathering of resources
Synonyms
  • collection

    focuses on the result rather than the process

  • foraging

    specifically searching for food in the wild

  • harvesting

    collecting crops or resources that have grown

Antonyms
  • distribution

    giving out or spreading things rather than bringing them together

Grammar Patterns

the gathering of + noun

noun + gathering (compound)

Usage Note

This sense is uncountable and describes the process, not the result. For the result of collecting, use 'collection' instead: 'The gathering of data took months' (process) vs. 'The collection of data was stored on a server' (result).

Common Mistakes

The gathering of mushrooms were excellent.
The gathering of mushrooms was excellent.
'Gathering' in this sense is uncountable and takes a singular verb.
The gathering included many old books.
The collection included many old books.
Use 'collection' for the things that have been gathered, and 'gathering' for the process of collecting them.

Word family

  • gather
    verbA2
  • gathered
    adjectiveB1
  • gatherer
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Gathering, meeting, assembly, and get-together all describe people coming together, but they differ in formality and purpose. 'Gathering' is the most neutral term — it works for a birthday party, a religious service, or a political rally, and does not imply a specific level of formality. 'Meeting' suggests a planned event with an agenda, often for work or business; you attend a team meeting but not a team gathering. 'Assembly' is more formal and often implies a large organised group, such as at a school assembly or a public assembly for a political cause. 'Get-together' is the most informal, used for small, relaxed social events among friends. For example: 'We had a small get-together at Yuki's flat' (casual), 'The school assembly was held in the main hall' (formal).

meeting ↗assembly ↗get-together

Common collocations

Phrases

  • gathering place

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Old English 'gaderung', meaning a coming together or a collection of people or things. The word is built on 'gaderian' (to gather), which is related to Old English 'gæd' (companionship, fellowship), tracing back to a shared Germanic root.