defrock
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
defrocksimple
-
defrockssimple
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have defrockedperfect
-
has defrockedperfect
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am defrockingprogressive
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are defrockingprogressive
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is defrockingprogressive
-
have been defrockingperfect progressive
-
has been defrockingperfect progressive
Past
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defrockedsimple
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had defrockedperfect
-
was defrockingprogressive
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were defrockingprogressive
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had been defrockingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of defrock
First recorded in 1575–85; from French défroquer, equivalent to dé- + froque + -er infinitive suffix; see origin at dis- 1, frock
Explanation
Defrock comes from frock, an old word for "dress." Priests, nuns, monks, and other church officials wear a frock to symbolize their job. If they leave the church, they are said to be defrocked: their gown is taken away. Although it is still common to refer to defrocked priests (priests who have left the priesthood for one reason or another), the word does not have a generally-used meaning outside of the clergy. You would not refer to a "defrocked teacher" or a "defrocked coach."
Vocabulary lists containing defrock
Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 3
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2014 Vocabulary Video Contest (A-L)
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The Inquisitor's Tale
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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:
Under Ratzinger’s watch as cardinal and pope, the Vatican authorized fast-track administrative procedures to defrock egregious abusers.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 1, 2023
The information released by the Jesuits did not show any attempt to discipline Rupnik more severely or to defrock him.
From Reuters ● Dec. 19, 2022
The Vatican has been under pressure to defrock the cleric, but it has maintained he deserves a full and fair legal process.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2020
He resigned a few years later, before the church concluded proceedings to defrock him.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 4, 2019
Brennan said the reason the Vatican did not defrock Bransfield was that it would lose leverage.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 23, 2019
"I've been trying for years to have him defrocked and that is because he can only be defrocked either where he was ordained, which was in Thailand, or by the Vatican," Ms MacPherson said.
From BBC ● May 6, 2025
Baker remained in the ministry until 2000, when he was defrocked, church records show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2024
Years ago Mike McCurry – during the Clinton administration – made a point of calling on a defrocked minister who always asked questions about Bigfoot and space aliens.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2024
The UMC says it has no overall figures of how many clergy were defrocked for defying anti-LGBTQ bans or how many reinstatements might occur.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024
In the records at Vallombrosa Abbey, Galileo Galilei became officially listed as a defrocked priest.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
They’re defrocking the Mets down to their vagabond shoes that are longing to ... oh, forget it, one shouldn’t need to crib from a corny song to describe what is happening here.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2024
“It’s like the defrocking of the Wizard of Oz.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 16, 2023
After the Vatican investigation of Ricard, Pope Francis could discipline him either by sentencing him to a life of prayer and penitence in isolation or go as far as defrocking him.
From Reuters ● Nov. 11, 2022
The AP last year reported that Brignac, despite his supposed defrocking, also maintained access to schoolchildren and held leadership roles as recently as 2018 in the Knights of Columbus.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2020
The church courts had characteristically punished with a fine or a penance, and at most defrocking, and never imposed a death penalty, even for murder.
From Our Legal Heritage by Reilly, S. A.
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.
