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the Church


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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
church /tʃɜrtʃ/USA pronunciation   n. 
  1. Religion[countable] a building for public Christian worship.
  2. Religion a religious service in such a building:[uncountable]late for church again.
  3. Religion[sometimes: Church]
    • [the + ~* countable;
      usually singular]       the whole body of Christian believers;
      Christendom:The Church faces a crisis in leadership.
    • Religion[countable] any major division of this body;
      a Christian denomination:Several churches took positions against the amendment.
    • [uncountable] the clergy or church officials who have authority in decisions:What is the church's position on this issue?
  4. Religion organized religion as distinguished from the state:[uncountable]the separation of church and state.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
church  (chûrch),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Religiona building for public Christian worship.
  2. Religionpublic worship of God or a religious service in such a building:to attend church regularly.
  3. Religion(sometimes cap.) the whole body of Christian believers;
    Christendom.
  4. Religion(sometimes cap.) any division of this body professing the same creed and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority;
    a Christian denomination:the Methodist Church.
  5. Religionthat part of the whole Christian body, or of a particular denomination, belonging to the same city, country, nation, etc.
  6. Religiona body of Christians worshipping in a particular building or constituting one congregation:She is a member of this church.
  7. Religionecclesiastical organization, power, and affairs, as distinguished from the state:separation of church and state; The missionary went wherever the church sent him.
  8. Religionthe clergy and religious officials of a Christian denomination.
  9. Religionthe Christian faith:a return of intellectuals to the church.
  10. Religion(cap.) the Christian Church before the Reformation.
  11. Religion(cap.) the Roman Catholic Church.
  12. Religionthe clerical profession or calling:After much study and contemplation, he was prepared to enter the church.
  13. Religiona place of public worship of a non-Christian religion.
  14. Religionany non-Christian religious society, organization, or congregation:the Jewish church.

v.t. 
  1. Religionto conduct or bring to church, esp. for special services.
  2. Dialect Terms, Religion[South Midland and Southern U.S.]to subject to church discipline.
  3. Religionto perform a church service of thanksgiving for (a woman after childbirth).
  • bef. 900; Middle English chir(i)che, Old English cir(i)ce Greek kȳri(a)kón (dôma) the Lord's (house), neuter of kȳriakós of the master, equivalent. to ký̄ri(os) master (kŷr(os) power + -ios noun, nominal suffix) + -akos, variant of -ikos -ic; akin to Dutch kerk, German Kirche, Old Norse kirkja. See kirk

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
church / tʃɜːtʃ/
  1. a building designed for public forms of worship, esp Christian worship
  2. an occasion of public worship
  3. the clergy as distinguished from the laity
  4. (usually capital) institutionalized forms of religion as a political or social force: conflict between Church and State
  5. (usually capital) the collective body of all Christians
  6. (often capital) a particular Christian denomination or group of Christian believers
  7. (often capital) the Christian religion
  8. (in Britain) the practices or doctrines of the Church of England and similar denominations
    Compare chapel4b
    Related adjective(s): ecclesiastical
 (transitive)
  1. to bring (someone, esp a woman after childbirth) to church for special ceremonies
  2. to impose church discipline upon
Etymology: 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
'the Church' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Aaronic - Ambrosian - Anglican - Anglican Church - Anglicanism - Anglo-Catholic - Anglo-Catholicism - Apostolic See - Book of Common Prayer - Book of Mormon - Broad Church - Brunelleschi - Candlemas - Catholic - Charles III - Christian Science - Christian Scientist - Church Commissioners - Church of the Brethren - College of Cardinals - Curia Romana - Established Church - Establishment - Evangelist - Fisher - Foxe - General Synod - Gentile - Giotto - Gog and Magog - Gregory VII - Henry II - High Church - Holy See - Jacobin - Jean de Meung - Julius II - Latter-day Saint - abbey - affiliate - afterthought - altar rail - amicus - annunciation - anticlerical - apostolate - around - as - asylum - baptism

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