Synonyms of church

church

noun

ˈchərch 

1

as in temple

a building for public worship and especially Christian worship

a city that is noted for its many historic churches

Synonyms & Similar Words

• temple
• chapel
• cathedral
• tabernacle
• abbey
• kirk
• mission
• shrine
• synagogue
• mosque
• sanctuary
• minster
• pagoda
• oratory
• meetinghouse
• bethel
• shul

2

as in congregation

a body of persons gathered for religious worship

spoke to the whole church at once

Synonyms & Similar Words

• congregation
• assembly
• parish
• flock
• communion
• denomination
• confession
• laity
• sect
• fold

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• clergy
• ministry
• episcopate
• spirituality
• priesthood
• hierarchy
• cloth
• presbytery
• first estate
• spiritualty
• diaconate
• clerkship
• monkhood

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• laity

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of church

In the ninth century, a severely disabled woman was buried, her feet bound, in an annex of the church in Elsau, outside Zürich. —Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026

For centuries, the kings and queens of the Netherlands have been buried in the church, beginning with William of Orange in 1584. —Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026

There’s also a lot going on in the personal lives of the folks at 51, the biggest being Boden’s wedding, which — despite a glitch with Herrmann’s offer to hold the event at his church — winds up being a beautiful affair. —Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026

Merritt is a member of Greenforest Community Baptist Church’s congregation, the church said in a Facebook message posted Sunday. —David Chiu, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026