temple

1 of 2

noun (1)

tem·​ple ˈtem-pəl How to pronounce temple (audio)
Synonyms of templenext
1
: a building for religious practice: such as
a
often Temple : either of two successive national sanctuaries in ancient Jerusalem
b
: a building for sacred ordinances of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
c
: the house of worship of Reform and some Conservative Jewish congregations
2
: a local lodge of any of various fraternal orders
also : the building housing it
3
: a place devoted to a special purpose
a temple of cuisine
templed
ˈtem-pəld How to pronounce temple (audio)
adjective

temple

2 of 2

noun (2)

1
: the flattened space on each side of the forehead of some mammals including humans
2
: one of the side supports of a pair of glasses jointed to the bows and passing on each side of the head

Synonyms of temple

Relevance

Noun (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of temple in a Sentence

Noun (1) the largest temple in the Gothic style in the country
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
There was no immediate sign of unrest ‌on Thursday after Ben-Gvir’s visit on Tisha ‌B’Av, a day of fasting and lament in Judaism mourning the destruction of the ancient Jewish temples. — Reuters, NBC news, 23 July 2026 The penthouse sits in Nishijin, Kyoto's historic weaving district, within easy walking distance of neighborhood cafés, temples, and Kitano Tenmangū Shrine, best experienced early before the tour groups arrive. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 July 2026 Plunge your face, eyes and temples into a bowl of cold water and ice for as long as possible. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 22 July 2026 Defending herself against a sister’s suitor brings an encounter with the goddess Athena and an opportunity to serve at her temple. — Janey Wetzel, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for temple

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, in part going back to Old English tempel, templ, in part borrowed from Anglo-French temple, both borrowed from Latin templum "space of sky or land delimited orally by an augur, piece of ground used for taking auspices, sacred precinct, building consecrated to a deity," of uncertain origin

Note: Latin templum has been traditionally derived from the Indo-European verbal base tem- "cut" (see tome), on the assumption that the original templum was a space "cut out" by the augur; the suffix would presumably be -lo-, with the -p- secondary. Greek témenos "sacred precinct" has been compared. More recently templum as been associated with a putative *temp- "stretch, extend," assuming a further sense "measure" (see tempo); the templum would then be a space "measured" by an augur.

Noun (2)

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Vulgar Latin *tempula, altered (with conformation to the suffix -ula) from Latin tempora, plural (taken as feminine singular) of tempus "side of the forehead, temple," of uncertain origin

Note: On the assumption that Latin tempor-, tempus "time" meant originally "stretch, extent" (see tempo) tempus "temple" has been taken as a semantic bifurcation of the same word, the temple of the head being the place where the skin is stretched tightly against the skull. Compare Old Norse þunn-vangi, Old High German dunnwangi "temple," literally, "thin-cheek."

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of temple was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing temple

Rhymes for temple

See All Rhymes for temple

Browse Nearby Words

template excavator
temple
Temple
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Temple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/temple. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

temple

1 of 2 noun
tem·​ple ˈtem-pəl How to pronounce temple (audio)
: a building for worship

temple

2 of 2 noun
: the flattened space on each side of the forehead of some mammals including human beings

Medical Definition

temple

noun
tem·​ple ˈtem-pəl How to pronounce temple (audio)
1
: the flattened space on each side of the forehead of some mammals (as humans)
2
: one of the side supports of a pair of glasses jointed to the bows and passing on each side of the head

Geographical Definition

Temple

geographical name

Tem·​ple ˈtem-pəl How to pronounce Temple (audio)
city in northeast central Texas south-southwest of Waco population 66,102

Biographical Definition

Temple 1 of 4

biographical name (1)

Tem·​ple ˈtem-pəl How to pronounce Temple (audio)
Frederick 1821–1902 archbishop of Canterbury (1896–1902)

Temple

2 of 4

biographical name (2)

Shirley 1928–2014 Shirley Temple Black American actress and diplomat

Temple

3 of 4

biographical name (3)

Sir William 1628–1699 British statesman

Temple

4 of 4

biographical name (4)

William 1881–1944 son of Frederick Temple archbishop of Canterbury (1942–44)

More from Merriam-Webster on temple

Nglish: Translation of temple for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about temple

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All