megachurch

noun

mega·​church ˈme-gə-ˌchərch How to pronounce megachurch (audio)
plural megachurches
: a church having an extremely large congregation
The megachurch, one of the largest in the region with roughly 5,000 attendees at its Sunday morning Post Falls worship service, is also adding a 25,000-square-foot children's ministry building, which will include a large indoor play structure …Nicholas Deshais
In little more than a decade, his ministry has grown from a living-room Bible study to a megachurch that draws about 7,600 visitors to seven campuses around Seattle each Sunday …Molly Worthen

Examples of megachurch in a Sentence

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.
Along Bluebonnet Boulevard, Swaggart built a 7,000-seat megachurch and a new Bible college. Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 1 July 2025 What the 40-day Target boycott about? Organized by megachurch pastor Jamal Bryant and other faith leaders, the 40-day spending fast/boycott is in protest of Target's decision to pull back its DEI initiatives. Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2025 At the end of last month, Gateway hired Virginia megachurch pastor Daniel Floyd to serve as the church’s new lead pastor. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2025 The pastor of a Georgia megachurch who led a nationwide 40-day boycott of Target stores in response called last month for a continuation of that effort. Anne D'innocenzio, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for megachurch

Word History

Etymology

mega- + church entry 1

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of megachurch was in 1966

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Megachurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/megachurch. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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!