megachurch

American

[meg-uh-church] / ˈmɛg əˌtʃɜrtʃ /

noun

an independent church with a very large membership in regular attendance, focusing on an evangelical or conservative Christian theology and offering a variety of educational and social activities.

megachurch British

/ ˈmɛɡəˌtʃɜːtʃ /

noun

a church, usually Protestant, with a very large congregation, typically housed in a complex offering sophisticated multimedia presentations and a range of secular facilities and services

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

megachurch

As the head of a 24,000-member Methodist megachurch in a deeply conservative, rural area of Kansas, Hamilton would typically fit the profile of a right-wing Republican Christian.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

It is aiming to secure the the Guinness World Record for the largest official fireworks show ever, surpassing the current record set in 2016 by a megachurch in the Philippines.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

The evangelical podcast now has millions of listeners and as a result, Halili and Reitsma have built a two-microphone megachurch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025

Mr. Butler-Gallie’s eye for paradox stands him in good stead again in his encounter with a megachurch in Nigeria, where he goes to see whether Christianity still offers “cause for hope.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

In 2001, MacArthur delivered an infamous sermon at his California megachurch.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023