Word: church Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English chirche, from Old English ċiriċe (“church”), from Proto-West Germanic *kirikā, an early borrowing of Ancient Greek κυριακόν (kuriakón), neuter form of κυριακός (kuriakós, “belonging to the lord”), from κύριος (kúrios, “ruler, lord”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- (“to swell, spread out, be strong, prevail”). Doublet of kirk. Additional etymological information For vowel evolution, see bury. Ancient Greek κυριακόν (kuriakón) was used of houses of Christian worship since circa 300 CE, especially in the East, though it was less common in this sense than ἐκκλησία (ekklēsía, “congregation”) or βασιλική (basilikḗ, “royal thing”). An example of the direct Greek-to-Germanic progress of many Christian words, possibly via the Goths; it was probably used by West Germanic people in their pre-Christian period. Cognate with Scots kirk (“church”), West Frisian tsjerke (“church”), Saterland Frisian Säärke (“church”), Dutch kerk (“church”), German Kirche (“church”), Danish kirke (“church”), Swedish kyrka (“church”), Norwegian Bokmål kirke, Norwegian Nynorsk kyrkje (“church”), and Faroese and Icelandic kirkja (“church”). Also picked up by Slavic, via Old High German chirihha (compare Old Church Slavonic црькꙑ (crĭky), Bulgarian църква (cǎrkva), Russian це́рковь (cérkovʹ)). Romance and Celtic languages use descendants of Latin ecclēsia. Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃɜːt͡ʃ/, /ˈt͡ʃɝt͡ʃ/, /ˈt͡ʃøːt͡ʃ/, /ˈt͡ʃʌɾt͡ʃ/, /ˈt͡ʃeːt͡ʃ/ 1. A Christian house of worship; a building where Christian religious services take place. Labels: countable Example: There is a lovely little church in the valley. Example: This building used to be a church before being converted into a library. 2. Christians collectively seen as a single spiritual community; Christianity; Christendom. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: These worshippers make up the Church of Christ. Example: Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 3. A local group of people who follow the same Christian religious beliefs, local or general. Labels: countable Example: Many young people find their only role models of family life in church. Example: He got the message and was in church the next Sunday. We need to stay in church with the fellowship of others in order to keep the fire of faith burning brightly. 4. A particular denomination of Christianity. Labels: countable Example: The Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534. 5. Christian worship held at a church; service. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Pastors complained that they were not allowed enough authority in church, with women exercising too much informal control. Example: Some people are always saying, "Oh, you have too much church." You never get too much church. I go to church every day. 6. Organized religion in general or a specific religion considered as a political institution. Labels: uncountable Example: Many constitutions enshrine the separation of church and state. Example: But in Muslim countries, Church and State are one indissolubly, and until the very essence of Islam passes away, that unity cannot be relaxed. The law of the land, too, is, in theory, the law of the Church. 7. Any religious group or place of worship; a temple. Labels: countable, informal, uncountable Example: She goes to a Wiccan church down the road. Example: Among these, the church must investigate fundemental questions, […] 8. Assembly. Labels: countable, obsolete, uncountable