verb
Etymology
Origin of defrock
First recorded in 1575–85; from French défroquer, equivalent to dé- + froque + -er infinitive suffix; 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.
The French Church in 2018 banned him from public ministry but did not defrock him.
From Reuters • Feb. 18, 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
It wasn’t until 2016 that the Toledo diocese’s petition to defrock Meiring was approved.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 3, 2019
Brennan said the reason the Vatican did not defrock Bransfield was that it would lose leverage.
From Washington Post • Jul. 23, 2019
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.
