mother church
- a church from which other churches have had their origin or derived their authority.
- a cathedral or a metropolitan church.
- the church attended in one's youth or for the greater part of one's life.
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Origin of mother church
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for mother church
Historical Examples
And how could he explain the yearning of his heart for the great heart of the Mother-church?
Audrey CravenMay Sinclair
All the Mother-Church's vast powers are concentrated in that Board.
Christian ScienceMark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Whereas, she is in manifest reality the Mother-Church herself.
Christian ScienceMark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
The profits go semi-annually to the Treasurer of the Mother-Church.
Christian ScienceMark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
In 1294 the Florentines determined to rebuild their mother-church upon a scale of unexampled grandeur.
Renaissance in Italy Vol. 3John Addington Symonds