church
noun
\ ˈchərch
\
\
Definition of church
(Entry 1 of 4)
1
: a building for public and especially Christian worship
2
: the clergy or officialdom of a religious body
the word church … is put for the persons that are ordained for the ministry of the Gospel, that is to say, the clergy— J. Ayliffe
3
often capitalized
: a body or organization of religious believers: such as
a
: the whole body of Christians
the one church is the whole body gathered together from all ages— J. H. Newman
b
: denomination
the Presbyterian church
c
: congregation
they had appointed elders for them in every church — Acts 14:23 (Revised Standard Version)
4
: a public divine worship
goes to church every Sunday
5
: the clerical profession
considered the church as a possible career
church
adjectiveDefinition of church (Entry 2 of 4)
1
: of or relating to a church
church government
church
verb
churched;
churching;
churches
Definition of church (Entry 3 of 4)
: to bring to church to receive one of its rites
Church
biographical name
\ ˈchərch
\
\
Definition of Church (Entry 4 of 4)
Frederic Edwin 1826–1900 American painter
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Synonyms for church
Synonyms: Noun
kirk [chiefly Scottish], tabernacle, temple
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Examples of church in a Sentence
Noun
This is the oldest church in town. They would like to be married in a church. I didn't see you at church last Sunday. He is a member of the Catholic Church. What church do you belong to? the church's attitude toward divorce the separation of church and state
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The couple was coming from a service that day at another church, First Samuel Baptist, Baker said. — Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, "Couple sues LMPD officers for traffic stop because they were 'black and in a nice car'," 16 Aug. 2019 Ross, who now lives in Miami, Florida, declined to answer questions about Epstein and broke down in tears when a reporter for Britain's Daily approached her outside a nearby Catholic church, the media organization reported on Aug. 16. — Cara Kelly, USA TODAY, "Jeffrey Epstein is dead. Prosecutors could still go after his inner circle if they helped him prey on young girls," 10 Aug. 2019 Senate Bill 535 clarifies the possession of firearms at churches, synagogues or other places of worship. — Allen Kim And Faith Karimi, CNN, "Texas to loosen firearm laws, allowing guns in churches and on school grounds," 7 Aug. 2019 Two-hundred-eighty characters of hollow empathy is not enough, and will never be enough, when our neighbors are gunned down in churches, schools, festivals, and just about anywhere in America. — Kyra Parrow, Vox, "I’m a former Parkland student. I am sick of lawmakers’ empty tweets.," 5 Aug. 2019 Let the Brecksville, Broadview Heights and North Royalton communities know what is going on with your organization, church, school, business or family. — Shirley Macfarland, cleveland.com, "Girls on the Run is expanding its program area: Talk of the Towns," 24 Aug. 2019 How over 1000 community screenings had happened in churches, schools, community centers. — Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, "What It's Like to Be the Directors of the Obamas' First Movie," 23 Aug. 2019 Lack of good transportation meant that each small town became the center for social events and other activities, including church, school, and seasonal celebrations. — David Buie, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Carroll Yesteryears: Exploring the history of northwestern Carroll County has never been easier," 23 Aug. 2019 Those included easing restrictions on where firearms can be carried, from schools to churches, apartments and foster homes, and barred cities from passing their own gun and ammunition sales limits. — Washington Post, "Texas gun rights lobby pushing back on calls for new laws," 23 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Church bells throughout Orlando will ring 49 times at noon Monday, a year after the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. — CBS News, "First of several services marks year since Pulse nightclub mass shooting," 12 June 2017 Church education minister Terry Slay told WXIA-TV that the bus was carrying 11th- and 12th-graders, along with adults. — Washington Post, "Church bus crashes in Atlanta area; 1 killed, others injured," 8 June 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The 12 Hamilton County churches that received money from the foundation were: Word of Deliverance Ministries, Forest Park - $35,000. — Sharon Coolidge And Dan Horn, Cincinnati.com, "Foundation led by Councilman Jeff Pastor gave Cincinnati churches $310K in election year," 26 June 2019 Twelve Johnson County churches convert classrooms to bedrooms one week at a time and can serve up to five unaccompanied female guests at a time, as well as families. — Lynn Horsley, kansascity, "Correx JOCO homeless," 2 Apr. 2018 Quinn said people pulling away from he church pained him and other church leaders. — Marcos Bretón, sacbee, "Awaiting death in season of renewal, Bishop Quinn reflects on life – and the secret to happiness | The Sacramento Bee," 1 Apr. 2018 The move was a safety precaution, WFMZ reported, although the church has told attendees — who church officials say are coming from around the world for the service — not to load the weapons. — Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, "Pennsylvania church plans a ceremony with AR-15 rifles — and a local school is getting students out of the way," 28 Feb. 2018 The move was a safety precaution, WFMZ reported, although the church has told attendees -- who church officials say are coming from around the world for the service -- not to load the weapons. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "Church ceremony with AR-15 rifles leads nearby school to relocate students," 27 Feb. 2018 After the Texas massacre, many East Tennessee churches called law enforcement seeking guidance. — Amy Mcrary, The Seattle Times, "After shootings, concerned congregations learn to protect," 17 Dec. 2017 More: Churches look to tighten security, even arm congregants, after Texas shooting After the Texas massacre, many East Tennessee churches called law enforcement seeking guidance. — Amy Mcrary, USA TODAY, "After church shootings, concerned congregations aim to protect their flocks," 10 Dec. 2017 Today, the combined attendance of all the Shrine churches is 50,000, said Nelson. — Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit's iconic Black Madonna: 50 years as mother of a movement," 27 Apr. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'church.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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