church
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?
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.
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).
Origin of church
1Other words from church
- an·ti·church, adjective
- non·church, noun
- pro·church, adjective
Other definitions for Church (2 of 2)
Frederick Edwin, 1826–1900, U.S. painter.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use church in a sentence
Kirill represented the Moscow Patriarchate at the World Council of Churches in the early 1970s.
Remembering the Russian Priest Who Fought the Orthodox Church | Cathy Young | December 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThere were mass closures of churches, mosques, and monasteries, and new taxes on religious facilities.
Remembering the Russian Priest Who Fought the Orthodox Church | Cathy Young | December 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTRural churches were deserted, and the connection between the land and the bounty of harvests was gone.
How individuals act in their homes, churches, communities, and even in public—that is up to them.
Do LGBTs Owe Christians an Olive Branch? Try The Other Way Around | Jay Michaelson | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSure, some churches are expanding, but overall, your way of life is in steep decline.
In the parish churches, many of which are of great interest, the predominant styles are Decorated and Perpendicular.
Rouen is interesting for its antiquities, including several venerable and richly adorned Churches which I had no time to visit.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyThe Gentleman's Magazine contains a long list of the bridges and churches which attest his reputation and skill.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellThe rebels outside Manila were very active in the work of burning and pillaging churches and other property.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanThen in the large parish churches the quartet of singers in the west gallery where the organ was placed had been abolished.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing Miller
British Dictionary definitions for church (1 of 2)
/ (tʃɜːtʃ) /
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 (def. 4b) Related adjective: ecclesiastical
Church of England to bring (someone, esp a woman after childbirth) to church for special ceremonies
US to impose church discipline upon
Origin of church
1British Dictionary definitions for Church (2 of 2)
/ (tʃɜːtʃ) /
Charlotte. born 1986, Welsh soprano, who made her name with the album Voice of an Angel (1998) when she was 12
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for church
A group of Christians (see also Christian); church is a biblical word for “assembly.” It can mean any of the following: (1) All Christians, living and dead. (See saints.) (2) All Christians living in the world. (3) One of the large divisions or denominations of Christianity, such as the Eastern Orthodox Church, Methodist Church, or Roman Catholic Church. (4) An individual congregation of Christians meeting in one building; also the building itself.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with church
see poor as a churchmouse.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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