church

Definition of churchnext
1
as in temple
a building for public worship and especially Christian worship a city that is noted for its many historic churches

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2
as in congregation
a body of persons gathered for religious worship spoke to the whole church at once

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3
as in clergy
the group ordained to perform clerical functions in the Christian church a time when few young men seem to want to join the church

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of church The church and surrounding community were supportive of the couple throughout the last six months. Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026 Jarvis helped coordinate a service at their church in West Virginia and in Philadelphia on May 10, 1908, a day close to the anniversary of her mother's passing. Kerri Corrado, CBS News, 6 May 2026 The acoustics of the church carry the voices of Goliath’s women as they, one after another, hold a single note as a lament for the dead. Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 6 May 2026 The city is also home to multiple Korean churches from Baptist to Presbyterian. ABC News, 5 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for church
Recent Examples of Synonyms for church
Noun
  • Worshipers mark the day by visiting holy sites and temples, the giving of alms and practicing mindfulness and spiritual purity, as noted by the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 1 May 2026
  • The upscale fast-casual culinary temple from Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Floresca, her VP of Culinary, debuted in Los Angeles in 2021.
    Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • She was ordained in the 1970s, the first woman in the congregation to earn that honor.
    Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The decision has left myriad questions for parish leaders and their congregations.
    Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Religious groups have documented a rise in acts of harassment and violence against Christian pilgrims and clergy as well as Palestinian Christian residents, including assaults and spitting, often by ultra-Orthodox Jewish yeshiva students.
    Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
  • For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.
    Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • Worshippers initially met in the small chapel of a local funeral home and now gather at nine campuses.
    ABC News, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The chapel is a physical representation of what Valparaiso means as a Lutheran university, Keefe said.
    Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Built of local stone, the railway’s great viaducts are as grand as cathedrals, and seem to rise naturally from their landscape.
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 3 May 2026
  • For decades the government has largely ignored the problem other than stabilizing foundations under monuments like the cathedral.
    Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • In the corner of one of Amsterdam's most elegant 17th-century canal houses, a cheetah leaps from an antique tabernacle.
    Karen Burshtein, Time, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Vandals broke into a Catholic school in Long Beach overnight Monday, stealing church items, damaging statues and tossing the tabernacle to the ground, according to police and school officials.
    Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Church.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/church. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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