church

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Contents

English [edit]

Alternative forms [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Middle English chirche, from Old English ċiriċe (“church”), from Proto-Germanic *kirikōn (West Germanic *kirika), an early borrowing of Ancient Greek κυριακόν (kuriakon), neuter form of κυριακός (kuriakos, “belonging to the lord”), from κύριος (kurios, “ruler, lord”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱēw-, *ḱwā- (“to swell, spread out, be strong, prevail”).

additional etymological information
For vowel evolution, see bury. Greek κυριακόν (kuriakon) was used of houses of Christian worship since circa 300 AD, especially in the East, though it was less common in this sense than ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia, “congregation”) or βασιλική (basilikē, “royal thing”). An example of the direct Greek-to-Germanic progress of many Christian words, via the Goths; it was probably used by West Germanic people in their pre-Christian period. Cognate with Scots kirk (“church”), West Frisian tsjerke (“church”), Saterland Frisian Säärke (“church”), Dutch kerk (“church”), German Kirche (“church”), Danish kirke (“church”), Swedish kyrka (“church”), Norwegian kirke, kyrkje (“church”), and Icelandic kirkja (“church”). Also picked up by Slavic, via Old High German chirihha (compare Old Church Slavonic црькꙑ (crĭky), Russian церковь (cérkov’)). Romance and Celtic languages use variants of Latin ecclesia.

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

A church, with many architectural features traditional to such a structure.

church (countable and uncountable; plural churches)

  1. (countable) A Christian house of worship; a building where religious services take place.
    There is a lovely little church in the valley.
    This building used to be a church before being converted into a library.
    • 2007, John R. Dodd, Bucky and Friends, page 117:
      He got the message and was in church the next Sunday. We need to stay in church with the fellowship of others in order to keep the fire of faith burning brightly.
  2. (countable) A Christian religious organization, local or general.
    The Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534.
    The church across the street has a service at 10 am.
    • 1997, Paul Harvey, Redeeming the South: Religious Cultures and Racial Identities ..., page 119:
      Pastors complained that they were not allowed enough authority in church, with women exercising too much informal control.
    • 2003, George Shillington, On a Journey with God: You Come Too, page 53:
      the learned women will be qualified to lead in church with equal grace and equal insight and equal gifts.
  3. (countable) A group of people who follow the same Christian religious beliefs, local or general.
    These worshippers make up the Church of Christ.
    • Acts 20:28, New International Version:
      Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
    • 2007, Bill Gibson, The Ultimate Church Sound Operator's Handbook, page 78:
      Many young people find their only role models of family life in church.
    • 2007, John R. Dodd, Bucky and Friends, page 117:
      He got the message and was in church the next Sunday. We need to stay in church with the fellowship of others in order to keep the fire of faith burning brightly.
    • 2008, Yil Gyoung Kang, Enhancing understanding the church through preaching on ..., page 61:
      As they actively get involved in ministry, lay ministry becomes vigorous, and new believers will settle in church with more ease.
    • 2009, Christian Smith; Patricia Snell, Souls in Transition, page 194:
      she had very many adults in church with whom she could talk about issues in life.
  4. (uncountable, countable, as bare noun) Religious service held at a church.
    She wanted to be married in church.
    • 2000, Lee Roberson, Disturbing Questions...: Solid Answers, page 174:
      Some people are always saying, "Oh, you have too much church." You never get too much church. I go to church every day.
  5. (as bare noun) A time of public worship; a worship service.
    I'll be there after church.
    He snored during church.

Usage notes [edit]

Synonyms [edit]

Hypernyms [edit]

Coordinate terms [edit]

Derived terms [edit]

Look at pages starting with church.

Derived terms

Translations [edit]

house of worship
a religious organization
a group of people who follow the same Christian religious beliefs
worship service
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb [edit]

church (third-person singular simple present churches, present participle churching, simple past and past participle churched)

  1. (transitive, now rare) To conduct a religious service for (a woman) after childbirth.
    • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book XI:
      Than, aftir the lady was delyverde and churched, there cam a knyght unto her [...].
  2. (transitive) To educate someone religiously, as in in a church.

Derived terms [edit]

See also [edit]

selected ecclesiastical terms

Statistics [edit]

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