church


Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

church

 (chûrch)
n.
1. A building for public, especially Christian worship.
2. often Church
a. The company of all Christians regarded as a spiritual body.
b. A specified Christian denomination: the Presbyterian Church.
c. A congregation.
3. Public divine worship in a church; a religious service: goes to church at Christmas and Easter.
4. The clerical profession; clergy.
5. Ecclesiastical power as distinguished from the secular: the separation of church and state.
tr.v. churched, church·ing, church·es
To conduct a church service for, especially to perform a religious service for (a woman after childbirth).
adj.
Of or relating to the church; ecclesiastical.

[Middle English chirche, from Old English cirice, ultimately from Medieval Greek kūrikon, from Late Greek kūriakon (dōma), the Lord's (house), neuter of Greek kūriakos, of the lord, from kūrios, lord; see keuə- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

church

(tʃɜːtʃ)
n
1. (Ecclesiastical Terms) a building designed for public forms of worship, esp Christian worship
2. (Ecclesiastical Terms) an occasion of public worship
3. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the clergy as distinguished from the laity
4. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (usually capital) institutionalized forms of religion as a political or social force: conflict between Church and State.
5. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (usually capital) the collective body of all Christians
6. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (often capital) a particular Christian denomination or group of Christian believers
7. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (often capital) the Christian religion
8. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (in Britain) the practices or doctrines of the Church of England and similar denominations. Compare chapel4b
vb (tr)
9. (Anglicanism) Church of England to bring (someone, esp a woman after childbirth) to church for special ceremonies
10. (Ecclesiastical Terms) US to impose church discipline upon
[Old English cirice, from Late Greek kurikon, from Greek kuriakon (dōma) the Lord's (house), from kuriakos of the master, from kurios master, from kuros power]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

church

(tʃɜrtʃ)

n.
1. a building for public Christian worship.
2. a religious service in a church.
3. (cap.)
a. the whole body of Christian believers; Christendom.
b. any major division of this body; a Christian denomination.
4. a Christian congregation.
5. organized religion as distinguished from the state.
6. (cap.) the Christian Church before the Reformation.
7. the profession of an ecclesiastic.
v.t.
8. to perform a church service for (a woman after childbirth).
[before 900; Middle English chir(i)che, Old English cir(i)ce « Greek kȳri(a)kón (dôma) the Lord's (house); akin to Dutch kerk, German Kirche, Old Norse kirkja. See kirk]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Church


the belief that the church as an organization is independent of and equal to the state, with its highest authority lying in its collective membership.
the rank or office of a deacon.
Eastern Church. sacristan.
an excessive adherence to the doctrines and practices of the church. — ecclesiastic, n., adj. — ecclesiastical, adj.
Rare. an opposition to the church.
a descriptive study of the church. — ecclesiographer, n. — ecclesiographic, ecclesiographical, adj.
an intense devotion to church forms, authority, and traditions.
1. the study of church building and decoration.
2. Theology. the doctrine of the church.
3. the policy and operations of the church. — ecclesiologist, n. — ecclesiologic, ecclesiological, adj.
an abnormal fear or dislike of the church.
a dissertation on church festivals.
a mania for priests.
a list of the lections, or texts, to be read in church services through-out the canonical year.
formerly, a ninth part of a parishioner’s movable property, which was claimed upon his death by the clergy in England. See also law.
a person who leads a church choir or congregation in singing.
an official or cleric appointed curator of the vestments, sacred vessels, and relies of a religious body, church, or cathedral.
the sin or offense of selling or granting for personal advantage church appointments, benefices, preferments, etc. — simoniac, simonist, n.
Church Law. the taking of property by an incumbent upon resignation or any other departure. See also ships; theft; war.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

church

A church is a building in which Christians hold religious services.

The church has two entrances.
She goes to St Clement's Church, Oxford.

You use church with no determiner, and immediately after a preposition, when you are talking about a religious service in a church. For example, if someone goes to a service in a church, you say that they go to church.

None of the children goes to church regularly.
People had heard what had happened at church.
Will we see you in church tomorrow?
I saw him after church one morning.

A mosque is a building where Muslims hold religious services, and a synagogue is a building where Jewish people hold religious services. When you are talking about a religious service in a mosque or a synagogue, you usually use a preposition followed by a determiner, but sometimes the determiner is omitted.

He goes to the mosque to worship.
We went for morning prayers at the synagogue.
After synagogue, we had lunch together.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

church


Past participle: churched
Gerund: churching

Imperative
church
church
Present
I church
you church
he/she/it churches
we church
you church
they church
Preterite
I churched
you churched
he/she/it churched
we churched
you churched
they churched
Present Continuous
I am churching
you are churching
he/she/it is churching
we are churching
you are churching
they are churching
Present Perfect
I have churched
you have churched
he/she/it has churched
we have churched
you have churched
they have churched
Past Continuous
I was churching
you were churching
he/she/it was churching
we were churching
you were churching
they were churching
Past Perfect
I had churched
you had churched
he/she/it had churched
we had churched
you had churched
they had churched
Future
I will church
you will church
he/she/it will church
we will church
you will church
they will church
Future Perfect
I will have churched
you will have churched
he/she/it will have churched
we will have churched
you will have churched
they will have churched
Future Continuous
I will be churching
you will be churching
he/she/it will be churching
we will be churching
you will be churching
they will be churching
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been churching
you have been churching
he/she/it has been churching
we have been churching
you have been churching
they have been churching
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been churching
you will have been churching
he/she/it will have been churching
we will have been churching
you will have been churching
they will have been churching
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been churching
you had been churching
he/she/it had been churching
we had been churching
you had been churching
they had been churching
Conditional
I would church
you would church
he/she/it would church
we would church
you would church
they would church
Past Conditional
I would have churched
you would have churched
he/she/it would have churched
we would have churched
you would have churched
they would have churched
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.church - one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worshipchurch - one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
organized religion, religion, faith - an institution to express belief in a divine power; "he was raised in the Baptist religion"; "a member of his own faith contradicted him"
Christendom, Christianity - the collective body of Christians throughout the world and history (found predominantly in Europe and the Americas and Australia); "for a thousand years the Roman Catholic Church was the principal church of Christendom"
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 Church, Protestant - 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
Christian - a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination
2.church - a place for public (especially Christian) worshipchurch - a place for public (especially Christian) worship; "the church was empty"
church service, church - a service conducted in a house of worship; "don't be late for church"
abbey - a church associated with a monastery or convent
amen corner - area reserved for persons leading the responsive `amens'
apse, apsis - a domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church; usually contains the altar
basilica - an early Christian church designed like a Roman basilica; or a Roman Catholic church or cathedral accorded certain privileges; "the church was raised to the rank of basilica"
cathedral - any large and important church
duomo, cathedral - the principal Christian church building of a bishop's diocese
bema, chancel, sanctuary - area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing
church tower - the tower of a church
kirk - a Scottish church
lady chapel - a small chapel in a church; dedicated to the Virgin Mary
narthex - a vestibule leading to the nave of a church
nave - the central area of a church
house of God, house of prayer, house of worship, place of worship - any building where congregations gather for prayer
presbytery - building reserved for the officiating clergy
rood screen - a screen in a church; separates the nave from the choir or chancel
side chapel - a small chapel off the side aisle of a church
transept - structure forming the transverse part of a cruciform church; crosses the nave at right angles
sacristy, vestry - a room in a church where sacred vessels and vestments are kept or meetings are held
3.church - a service conducted in a house of worshipchurch - a service conducted in a house of worship; "don't be late for church"
divine service, religious service, service - the act of public worship following prescribed rules; "the Sunday service"
Divine Office - canonical prayers recited daily by priests (e.g. the breviary of the Roman Catholic Church)
church building, church - a place for public (especially Christian) worship; "the church was empty"
church bell - a bell in a church tower (usually sounded to summon people to church); "church bells were ringing all over town"
crypt - a cellar or vault or underground burial chamber (especially beneath a church)
hassock - a cushion for kneeling on (as when praying in church)
spire, steeple - a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top
Puritanism - the beliefs and practices characteristic of Puritans (most of whom were Calvinists who wished to purify the Church of England of its Catholic aspects)
banns - a public announcement of a proposed marriage
preaching, sermon, discourse - an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)
Anglican Church, Anglican Communion, Church of England - the national church of England (and all other churches in other countries that share its beliefs); has its see in Canterbury and the sovereign as its temporal head
High Anglican Church, High Church - a group in the Anglican Church that emphasizes the Catholic tradition (especially in sacraments and rituals and obedience to church authority)
separationist, separatist - an advocate of secession or separation from a larger group (such as an established church or a national union)
disestablish - deprive (an established church) of its status
attend, go to - be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.; "She attends class regularly"; "I rarely attend services at my church"; "did you go to the meeting?"
4.church - the body of people who attend or belong to a particular local church; "our church is hosting a picnic next week"
body - a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity; "the whole body filed out of the auditorium"; "the student body"; "administrative body"
Christendom, Christianity - the collective body of Christians throughout the world and history (found predominantly in Europe and the Americas and Australia); "for a thousand years the Roman Catholic Church was the principal church of Christendom"
Verb1.church - perform a special church rite or service for; "church a woman after childbirth"
perform - perform a function; "Who will perform the wedding?"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

church

noun
1. chapel, temple, cathedral, kirk (Scot.), minster, basilica, tabernacle, place of worship, house of God one of the country's most historic churches
2. denomination, belief, sect, persuasion, creed, communion, religious group, school the growing influence of the Roman Catholic Church
Related words
adjective ecclesiastical
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

church

noun
Those who accept and practice a particular religious belief:
adjective
Of or relating to a church or to an established religion:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
الكَنيسَهكَنِيسَةكَنيسَه
църквачерква
kostelcírkev
kirke
kirik
kirkkojumalanpalvelus
crkva
egyházistentiszteletmiseszertartástemplom
gerejaMisa
kirkjasöfnuîur
教会
교회
ecclesia
bažnyčia
baznīca
biserică
cirkevkostol
cerkevliturgijamaša
црква
kyrka
โบสถ์
kilise…mezhebiHristiyanlığın çeşitli mezhepleri
nhà thờ

church

[tʃɜːtʃ]
A. N
1. (= building) (gen) → iglesia f; (Protestant) → templo m
2. (= service) (Catholic) → misa f; (Protestant) → oficio m
to go to church (Catholic) → ir a misa; (Protestant) → ir al oficio
after churchdespués de la misa or del oficio
3. (= institution) the Churchla Iglesia
Church and StateIglesia y Estado
to enter the Churchhacerse cura or (Protestant) pastor
B. CPD [doctrine] → de la Iglesia
Church Fathers NPLPadres mpl de la Iglesia
church hall Nsacristía f
church music Nmúsica f sacra or religiosa
Church of England NIglesia f Anglicana
Church of Scotland NIglesia f Presbiteriana Escocesa
church school Ncolegio m religioso
church service Noficio m, servicio m religioso
church wedding Nboda f eclesiástica, boda f por la iglesia
they want a church weddingquieren casarse por la iglesia
CHURCHES OF ENGLAND/SCOTLAND
La Iglesia Anglicana (Church of England) es la iglesia oficial de Inglaterra. Tiene su origen en la ruptura de Enrique VIII con la Iglesia católica en el siglo XVI. En ella se unen aspectos de la tradición católica y de la protestante. Su dirigente oficial es el monarca y su jefe espiritual el Arzobispo de Canterbury. Al clero se le permite contraer matrimonio y, desde 1992, las mujeres pueden ejercer el sacerdocio, cambio al que se opuso radicalmente la corriente conservadora.
La Iglesia Presbiteriana Escocesa (Church of Scotland) es la iglesia nacional de Escocia, pero no depende de ninguna autoridad civil. Sigue la doctrina calvinista y se rige según las normas presbiterianas, lo que significa que está gobernada a nivel local, por ministers y dirigentes laicos (elders). Tanto hombres como mujeres pueden ejercer el sacerdocio. Hay una reunión anual (General Assembly) en la que se discuten asuntos nacionales, presidida por un Moderator, que es elegido anualmente.
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

church

[ˈtʃɜːrtʃ] néglise f
I don't go to church every Sunday → Je ne vais pas à l'église tous les dimanches. broad church
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

church

nKirche f; (= service)die Kirche; to go to churchin die Kirche gehen; the Church Fathersdie Kirchenväter; the Church of Englanddie anglikanische Kirche; he has gone into or entered the Churcher ist Geistlicher geworden; Church calendarKirchenkalender m, → Kalendarium nt

church

in cpdsKirchen-;
churchgoer
nKirchgänger(in) m(f)
churchgoing
adj a church familyeine Familie, die regelmäßig in die Kirche geht
church hall
nGemeindehalle f
churchman
n (= clergyman)Geistliche(r), Seelsorger m; (= churchgoer)Kirchgänger m
church mode
n (Mus) → Kirchentonart f
church mouse
n as poor as a churcharm wie eine Kirchenmaus
church school
church service
nGottesdienst m
churchwarden
nGemeindevorsteher m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

church

[tʃɜːtʃ] nchiesa
to go to church → andare in chiesa
after church → dopo la funzione (for Catholics) → dopo la messa
to enter the Church → prendere gli ordini
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

church

(tʃəːtʃ) noun
1. a building for public Christian worship.
2. a group of Christians considered as a whole. the Catholic Church.
ˈchurchyard noun
the burial ground round a church.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

church

كَنِيسَة kostel kirke Kirche εκκλησία iglesia kirkko église crkva chiesa 教会 교회 kerk kirke kościół igreja церковь kyrka โบสถ์ kilise nhà thờ 教堂
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
And that is what your church is standing for, what you are preaching for every time you get up in the pulpit.
For you may imagine, what kind of faith theirs was, when the chief doctors, and fathers of their church, were the poets.
The time we bought God's picture from Jerry Cowan--the time Dan ate the poison berries--the time we heard the ghostly bell ring--the bewitchment of Paddy--the visit of the Governor's wife--and the night we were lost in the storm--all awaken reminiscent jest and laughter; but none more than the recollection of the Sunday Peg Bowen came to church and sat in our pew.
Levin read the second volume of Homiakov's works, and in spite of the elegant, epigrammatic, argumentative style which at first repelled him, he was impressed by the doctrine of the church he found in them.
This place is under his curse -- and his Church's."
Everybody looked at her feet; and when she stepped through the chancel door on the church pavement, it seemed to her as if the old figures on the tombs, those portraits of old preachers and preachers' wives, with stiff ruffs, and long black dresses, fixed their eyes on her red shoes.
They, in a manner, confiscated the domains of the Church! This in priest-ridden Italy!
In his account of the mission, where his veracity is most to be suspected, he neither exaggerates overmuch the merits of the Jesuits, if we consider the partial regard paid by the Portuguese to their countrymen, by the Jesuits to their society, and by the Papists to their church, nor aggravates the vices of the Abyssins; but if the reader will not be satisfied with a Popish account of a Popish mission, he may have recourse to the history of the church of Abyssinia, written by Dr.
The vestry of Old Welmingham church was the starting-point from which my mind slowly worked its way back through all that I had heard Mrs.
"At Plympton Church, scarce five miles from here; and at three o' the afternoon."
Crackenthorp, too, while he admonished Silas that his money had probably been taken from him because he thought too much of it and never came to church, enforced the doctrine by a present of pigs' pettitoes, well calculated to dissipate unfounded prejudices against the clerical character.
Nevertheless, if any one should ask of me how comes it that the Church has attained such greatness in temporal power, seeing that from Alexander backwards the Italian potentates (not only those who have been called potentates, but every baron and lord, though the smallest) have valued the temporal power very slightly--yet now a king of France trembles before it, and it has been able to drive him from Italy, and to ruin the Venetians--although this may be very manifest, it does not appear to me superfluous to recall it in some measure to memory.