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church

Syllabification: (church)

Pronunciation: /CHərCH/

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Definition of church

noun

a building used for public Christian worship:they came to church with me
(usually Church) a particular Christian organization, typically one with its own clergy, buildings, and distinctive doctrines:the Church of England
(the Church) the hierarchy of clergy of a Christian organization, especially the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of England.
institutionalized religion as a political or social force:the separation of church and state

verb

[with object] archaic

take (a woman who has recently given birth) to church for a service of thanksgiving.

Origin:

Old English cir(i)ce, cyr(i)ce, related to Dutch kerk and German Kirche, based on medieval Greek kurikon, from Greek kuriakon (dōma) 'Lord's (house)', from kurios 'master or lord'. Compare with kirk

church in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of church in the British & World English dictionary

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