a group of persons together in one place
"The mayor addressed the large gathering outside the city hall before the storm began."
A meeting or get-together; a party or social function.
"The annual charity gathering at the community center was filled with laughter and local food stalls."
In plain English: A gathering is a group of people who come together for a specific event or purpose.
"The neighborhood gathering took place in the park last Saturday."
Usage: Use "gathering" to describe an informal group of people coming together socially, such as a family reunion or a casual meet-up. It implies a sense of community and often suggests that the event is relaxed rather than strictly organized like a formal meeting.
present participle of gather
"The team is gathering their notes before the meeting starts."
In plain English: To gather means to come together from different places to be in the same spot.
"We spent the afternoon gathering firewood for the winter."
Usage: Use "gathering" to describe people or things coming together at a specific time and place, such as a crowd gathering in the town square. Avoid using it to mean collecting items individually unless you are describing the ongoing action of that collection process.
That gathers together
"The storm was gathering strength as dark clouds rolled in over the mountains."
In plain English: Gathering describes something that is coming together or being collected into one place.
"The gathering clouds threatened to rain soon."
Usage: Use "gathering" as an adjective only when it directly modifies a noun to describe something that is currently collecting or assembling people or things, such as a gathering crowd. Avoid using it to mean "related to gathering" in general contexts where "collective" or "associated" would be clearer.
The word gathering comes from the Old English term gaderung, which originally meant a gathering or an assembly. It entered modern usage through Middle English by combining the verb "gather" with the suffix "-ing."