church

¹

[ church ]

noun

1. a building for public Christian worship.
2. public Christian worship of God; a Christian religious service:

   They attend church regularly.

   What time does your church start?

3. none the church or the Church, the whole body of Christian believers.
4. Sometimes Church. any organized group of Christian believers professing the same creed and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a Christian denomination:

   the Methodist Church.

5. 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.

6. a body of Christians worshipping in a particular building or constituting one congregation:

   She is a member of this church.

7. ecclesiastical organization, power, and affairs, as distinguished from the state:

   The separation of church and state is entrenched in the U.S. Constitution.

8. the clergy and religious officials of a Christian denomination:

   The missionary went wherever the church sent him.

9. the Christian faith:

   The early 20th century saw the return of many intellectuals to the church.

10. 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.

11. the Church, the Roman Catholic Church.
12. the clerical profession or calling:

    After much study and contemplation, he was prepared to enter the church.

13. Sometimes Offensive. any non-Christian religious society, organization, or congregation, or its place of public worship:

    He is part of a Satanist church.

verb (used with object)

1. to conduct or bring to church, especially for special services.
2. South Midland and Southern U.S. to subject to church discipline.
3. to perform a church service of thanksgiving for (a woman after childbirth).

Church

²

[ church ]

noun

1. Frederick Edwin, 1826–1900, U.S. painter.

Church

¹

/ tʃɜːtʃ /

noun

1. ChurchCharlotte1986FWelshMUSIC: soprano Charlotte. born 1986, Welsh soprano, who made her name with the album Voice of an Angel (1998) when she was 12

church

²

/ tʃɜːtʃ /

noun

1. a building designed for public forms of worship, esp Christian worship
2. an occasion of public worship
3. the clergy as distinguished from the laity
4. usually capital institutionalized forms of religion as a political or social force

   conflict between Church and State

5. usually capital the collective body of all Christians
6. often capital a particular Christian denomination or group of Christian believers
7. often capital the Christian religion
8. (in Britain) the practices or doctrines of the Church of England and similar denominations Compare chapel ecclesiastical

verb

1. Church of England to bring (someone, esp a woman after childbirth) to church for special ceremonies
2. to impose church discipline upon

church

1. 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.

Other Words From

• an·ti·church adjective
• non·church noun
• pro·church adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of church¹

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; kirk

Word History and Origins

Origin of church¹

Old English cirice, from Late Greek kurikon, from Greek kuriakon ( dōma ) the Lord's (house), from kuriakos of the master, from kurios master, from kuros power

Idioms and Phrases

see poor as a churchmouse .

Example Sentences

Science got its start when the likes of Galileo and Copernicus claimed that the church, the state, even Aristotle, could no longer be trusted as authoritative sources of knowledge.

From Nautilus

I was actually at church when that … I woke up the next morning.

From Ozy

Wherever they were, they always voted — in fire stations, churches, their retirement community.

From ProPublica

He escorted her downstairs to get a list of churches and other nonprofit groups that could help her gather enough money.

From ProPublica

One such change occurred on November 27, 2011, when the church attempted to unify the world’s English-speaking Catholics by having them all use the same wording.

From Science News

The Via Dolorosa ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and is marked by nine stations of the cross.

From The Daily Beast

Church bells pealed from St. Catherine of Siena parish one block away.

From The Daily Beast

If they returned to their church, they would be spared a second attack.

From The Daily Beast

The church was not happy with his views, and there was talk of excommunication.

From The Daily Beast

In a 2009 interview, Church apostle Dallin H. Oaks held that the Church “does not have a position” on that point.

From The Daily Beast

Among the Perpendicular additions to the church last named may be noted a very beautiful oaken rood-screen.

From Project Gutenberg

The east window in this church has been classed as the A1 of modern painted windows.

From Project Gutenberg

He, with others, thinking the miss-sahib had gone to church, was smoking the hookah of gossip in a neighboring compound.

From Project Gutenberg

The cathedral is the only Spanish parochial church; it cares for two thousand four hundred souls.

From Project Gutenberg

The Indians should have a suitable church of their own, and Serrano recommends that the king provide one for them.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• chapel
• mosque
• parish
• sanctuary
• shrine
• synagogue
• temple