A gathering is a group of people or things.

It is also a term used by youth to avoid the connotations associated with the word "party". If you have a gathering, it is not technically a party, hence when you promise parents not to have a party whilst they are away, a gathering can instead be thrown without any breaches of trust.

According to popular American Sitcom 8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter, gatherings should be a maximum of 20 people when the term is used in this sense, as after that it officially becomes a party.

However, a gathering could also mean the collecting of things, such as 'she was gathering flowers'. Gathering is also used in economic activities like primary economic activities.

See also

• List of largest gatherings in history
• Meeting
• Committee
• Festival
• Party
• LAN party
• Block party
• Collection