church

/tʃərtʃ/

/tʃətʃ/

Other forms: churches; churching; churched

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.

Definitions of church

1. noun

   a place for public (especially Christian) worship
   “the church was empty”

   synonyms: church building

   types:

   abbey

   a church or building associated with a monastery or convent

   basilica

   an early Christian church designed like a Roman basilica; or a Roman Catholic church or cathedral accorded certain privileges

   cathedral

   any large and important church

   cathedral, duomo

   the principal Christian church building of a bishop's diocese

   kirk

   a Scottish church

   minster

   any of certain cathedrals and large churches; originally connected to a monastery

   type of:

   house of God, house of prayer, house of worship, place of worship

   any building where congregations gather for prayer
2. noun

   a service conducted in a house of worship
   “don't be late for church”

   synonyms: church service

   type of:

   divine service, religious service, service

   the act of public worship following prescribed rules
3. noun

   one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
   synonyms: Christian church

   types:

   Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church, Armenian Church

   an independent Christian church established in Armenia since 300; was influenced by both Roman and Byzantine traditions

   Catholic Church

   any of several churches claiming to have maintained historical continuity with the original Christian Church

   Nestorian Church

   a Christian Church in the Middle East that followed Nestorianism; there is still a small Nestorian Church in Iraq

   Coptic Church

   the ancient Christian church of Egypt

   Protestant, Protestant Church

   the Protestant churches and denominations collectively

   Unification Church

   a Christian church (with some Buddhist elements) founded in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon and known for staging mass weddings and other communal activities

   Church of Rome, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic Church, Roman Church, Western Church

   the Christian Church based in the Vatican and presided over by a pope and an episcopal hierarchy

   Old Catholic Church

   Catholic churches that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the 18th century

   Byzantine Church, Eastern Church

   the Catholic Church as it existed in the Byzantine Empire

   Eastern Church, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox Catholic Church, Orthodox Church

   derived from the Byzantine Church and adhering to Byzantine rites

   Uniat Church, Uniate Church

   any of several churches in eastern Europe or the Middle East that acknowledge papal authority but retain their own liturgy

   Pentecostal religion

   any fundamentalist Protestant Church that uses revivalistic methods to achieve experiences comparable to the Pentecostal experiences of the first Christian disciples

   type of:

   faith, organized religion, religion

   an institution to express belief in a divine power
4. noun

   the body of people who attend or belong to a particular local church
   “our church is hosting a picnic next week”

   type of:

   body

   a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity
5. verb

   perform a special church rite or service for
   “church a woman after childbirth”

   type of:

   perform

   perform a function