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.
Guidepost’s report detailed a July 2010 incident in which Hunt, who was SBC president between 2009-2010 and the longtime pastor at Atlanta area megachurch First Baptist Church (FBC) Woodstock, allegedly molested a woman more than 20 years his junior. Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025 His socialite wife, Margo (Malin Akerman), quickly takes Sophie under her wing, introducing the wide-eyed waif to her gaggle of girlfriends, including Jill (Katie Lowes), the wife of the megachurch’s reverend, and Callie (Jaime Ray Newman), the sheriff’s wife. Melissa Locker, Time, 23 July 2025 Part of that highlights a tension within megachurch culture. Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 4 July 2025 The local megachurch is its own whole thing, with Shondaland stalwart Katie Lowes giving a delightfully overbearing performance as Jill, a preacher’s wife and Margo sidekick who’s plotting to profit off of her husband’s influence. Judy Berman, Time, 21 July 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

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Cite this Entry

“Megachurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/megachurch. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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