UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: assembly, gathering

Semantic entry: 11.78

Semantic domains: Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes

Subdomains: Socio-Political

Definition: a group of citizens assembled for socio-political activities

Notes: It is possible that in ἐκκλησία[c] there is somewhat more focus upon the people being together as a legal assembly, while in the case of δῆμος the emphasis is merely upon a meeting of citizens. But in the NT one cannot distinguish clearly between the meanings of these two words.|ἐκκλησία[c] and δῆμος may be rendered in some languages as ‘a meeting of the people who belonged to that place’ or ‘… who were inhabitants of that town’ or ‘… whose homes were in that town.’