a building for public Christian worship.
public Christian worship of God; a Christian religious service.
They attend church regularly.
What time does your church start?
none the church or the Church, the whole body of Christian believers.
Sometimes Church. any organized group of Christian believers professing the same creed and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a Christian denomination.
the Methodist Church.
that part of the whole Christian body, or of a particular denomination, belonging to the same city, country, nation, etc..
The African church was well represented at the international ecumenical conference.
a body of Christians worshipping in a particular building or constituting one congregation.
She is a member of this church.
ecclesiastical organization, power, and affairs, as distinguished from the state.
The separation of church and state is entrenched in the U.S. Constitution.
the clergy and religious officials of a Christian denomination.
The missionary went wherever the church sent him.
the Christian faith.
The early 20th century saw the return of many intellectuals to the church.
none the church or the Church, the organized body of professing Christians before the Reformation.
In a.d. 325, Constantine summoned the leaders of the Church to a conference at Nicaea.
the Church, the Roman Catholic Church.
the clerical profession or calling.
After much study and contemplation, he was prepared to enter the church.
Sometimes Offensive. any non-Christian religious society, organization, or congregation, or its place of public worship.
He is part of a Satanist church.
to conduct or bring to church, especially for special services.
South Midland and Southern U.S. to subject to church discipline.
to perform a church service of thanksgiving for (a woman after childbirth).
a building designed for public forms of worship, esp Christian worship
an occasion of public worship
the clergy as distinguished from the laity
(usually capital) institutionalized forms of religion as a political or social force
conflict between Church and State
(usually capital) the collective body of all Christians
(often capital) a particular Christian denomination or group of Christian believers
(often capital) the Christian religion
(in Britain) the practices or doctrines of the Church of England and similar denominations Compare chapel
Church of England to bring (someone, esp a woman after childbirth) to church for special ceremonies
to impose church discipline upon
First recorded before 900; Middle English chir(i)che, Old English cir(i)ce, ultimately from Greek kȳri(a)kón (dôma) “the Lord's (house),” neuter of kȳriakós “of the master,” from kȳ́ri(os) “master” (from kŷr(os) “power” + -ios, noun suffix) + -akos (variant of -ikos -ic ); akin to Dutch kerk, German Kirche, Old Norse kirkja; see kirk
A church is where you go for a public religious service. On Easter, some people go to church to pray. Church derives from the Greek word kuriakon (doma) meaning "Lord's (house)." A public building or place mainly used for worship, a church can be modest in structure and appearance or large and ornate, with stained glass windows and a grand interior. Inside a church, you are said to attend church, which is a service given by a religious official that helps guide worship. Church can also refer to the group of people you see regularly at Sunday's service.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Church of England said in January it was planning to apologise for its role in the forced adoption scandal.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Separately, a former minister from another Church of Ireland parish in east Belfast detailed what he believed to be a further safeguarding concern involving the bishop of the diocese David McClay.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
As Chesnut noted, UFOs-as-demons is actually an evangelical idea from the 1950s and ’60s, and not something the Catholic Church has ever meddled in.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
Speaking to reporters on the flight to Madrid on Saturday, the 70-year-old leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics said the scandal of abuse was "still an open wound" for the Church.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Eventually, Bobby sent 10 percent of his meager chess earnings to the Church.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
