Church /(chûrch)/
Church
n.
- A building set apart for Christian worship.
- A Jewish or heathen temple. [Obs.]
- A formally organized body of Christian believers worshiping together.
- A body of Christian believers, holding the same creed, observing the same rites, and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a denomination; as, the Roman Catholic church; the Presbyterian church.
- The collective body of Christians.
- Any body of worshipers; as, the Jewish church; the church of Brahm.
-
The aggregate of religious influences in a community; ecclesiastical influence, authority, etc.; as, to array the power of the church against some moral evil.
Remember that both church and state are properly the rulers of the people, only because they are their benefactors.
Phrases & Compounds
- Apostolic church
- See under Apostolic.
- Broad church
- See Broad Church.
- Catholic church
- the whole body of believers in Christ throughout the world.
- Church of England
- the Episcopal church established and endowed in England by law.
- Church living
- a benefice in an established church.
- Church militant
- See under Militant.
- Church owl
- the white owl. See Barn owl.
- Church rate
- a tax levied on parishioners for the maintenance of the church and its services.
- Church session
- See under Session.
- Church triumphant
- See under Triumphant.
- Church work
- work on, or in behalf of, a church; the work of a particular church for the spread of religion.
- Established church
- the church maintained by the civil authority; a state church.
Church
v. t.
imp. & p. p. Churched; p. pr. & vb. n. Churching
- To bless according to a prescribed form, or to unite with in publicly returning thanks in church, as after deliverance from the dangers of childbirth; as, the churching of women.