An assembly is a gathering of people who come together for a shared purpose. Your school might hold an assembly in the auditorium where everyone meets to hear announcements, watch a performance, or celebrate achievements. The word comes from assemble, which means to bring parts together into a whole.

In government, an assembly is a group of elected representatives who meet to make laws and decisions. The United Nations General Assembly brings together diplomats from countries around the world. Some American states, like New York and California, call their legislatures assemblies rather than other names like “House of Delegates.”

The word also describes the process of putting something together from separate parts. When you follow instructions to build a model airplane, you're doing assembly work. Factories use assembly lines, where workers each add one piece as a product moves past them. Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing by using assembly lines to build cars faster and cheaper than ever before.

Assembly can also mean the state of being assembled. When furniture arrives in pieces with instructions, it requires some assembly.