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• church
  church

  noun

  a building for public Christian worship.
• Church
  Church

  noun

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

church

¹ American  

[church] / tʃɜrtʃ /

noun

• churches
  plural

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.

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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 American  

[church] / tʃɜrtʃ /

noun

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

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church ¹ British  

/ 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

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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 ² British  

/ tʃɜːtʃ /

noun

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

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church Cultural  

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.

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church Idioms  

1. see poor as a churchmouse.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonchurch
  noun
• antichurch
  adjective
• prochurch
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• churches
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of church

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

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Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

church Church churches

Fran, a former headteacher, ran a quiz night that raised money for the local school and church.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Even those who remain Catholic are attending church less often.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

"I see Leo as a sort of continuation...of the imprint that Francis left on the Vatican and the church," said Lozano.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

In light of the new funding law, the church asked for an accommodation that would allow “faith based providers to participate in the program without compromising their sincerely held religious beliefs.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

The pines and the distant church steeple sparkled in the winter sun like an old-fashioned Christmas card.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

A Dallas native, Haynes has been pastor of the city’s Friendship-West Baptist Church for more than 40 years.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026

This was reiterated in the Vatican’s 2016 instruction “Ad resurgendum cum Christo”: “The Church continues to prefer the practice of burying the bodies of the deceased, because this shows a greater esteem towards the deceased.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

The language of the bill, sponsored in the Senate by Republican Clifford Case and Democrat Frank Church, was very specific:

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

St Boniface Church in Hursley Road will be open 09:00-17:00 through the week, while St Martin in the Wood in Queen's Road will be available Monday to Wednesday between 15:00 and 17:00.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

St. Thomas Episcopal Church, where Reverend Eder presided, was on Main Street in the center of town.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Like governments and political parties, churches have struggled to retain public confidence amid scandals and broken promises, prompting many people to practice religion on their own terms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Under Spanish colonial rule in the 16th century, Zana -- home to around 4,000 souls -- was a wealthy center of commerce dotted with grandiose churches.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

He said churches had opened their doors for people to pause for reflection or seek support.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

After the event Bass left to attend religious services at four churches and one Sikh temple.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026

Barack had spent a lot of time in churches during his time as a community organizer, which had left him with an appreciation for organized religion, but at the same time he remained less traditional.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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Related Words

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

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