Assembly, n.; pl. Assemblies.
Etymology: [F. assemblée, fr. assembler. See Assemble.]
1. A company of persons collected together in one place, and usually for some common purpose, esp. for deliberation and legislation, for worship, or for social entertainment.
2. A collection of inanimate objects. [Obs.] Howell.
3. (Mil.)
A beat of the drum or sound of the bugle as a signal to troops to assemble.
2 more senses
Note: In some of the United States, the legislature, or the popular branch of it, is called the Assembly, or the General Assembly. In the Presbyterian Church, the General Assembly is the highest ecclesiastical tribunal, composed of ministers and ruling elders delegated from each presbytery; as, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, or of Scotland. Assembly room, a room in which persons assemble, especially for dancing. -- Unlawful assembly (Law), a meeting of three or more persons on a common plan, in such a way as to cause a reasonable apprehension that they will disturb the peace tumultuously. -- Westminster Assembly, a convocation, consisting chiefly of divines, which, by act of Parliament, assembled July 1, 1643, and remained in session some years. It framed the "Confession of Faith," the "Larger Catechism," and the "Shorter Catechism," which are still received as authority by Presbyterians, and are substantially accepted by Congregationalists.
Syn. -- See Assemblage.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for assembly; he lists it under company.
Where he writes about it:
Company, from the Latin cum, with, and panis, bread, denotes primarily the association of those who eat at a common table, or the persons so associated, table-companions, messmates, friends, and hence is widely extended to include any association of those united permanently or temporarily, for business, pleasure, festivity, travel, etc., or by sorrow, misfortune, or wrong; company may denote an indefinite number (ordinarily more than two), but less than a multitude; in the military sense a company is a limited and definite number of men; company implies more unity of feeling and purpose than crowd, and is a less formal and more familiar word than assemblage or assembly. — from company
An assemblage may be of persons or of objects; an assembly is always of persons. — from company
An assemblage is promiscuous and unorganized; an assembly is organized and united in some common purpose. — from company
A conclave is a secret assembly. — from company
A convocation is an assembly called by authority for a special purpose; the term convention suggests less dependence upon any superior authority or summons. — from company
Collection, crowd, gathering, group, and multitude have the unorganized and promiscuous character of the assemblage; the other terms come under the general idea of assembly. — from company