church

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 When supporters of the old Anglican order sought to impose a new church tax in 1784, dissenters reacted with outrage. Time, 10 July 2025 The church is next to Marin Catholic High School, where Ellie Walker is a student and her brother is enrolled as an incoming freshman. Cameron MacDonald, Mercury News, 10 July 2025 Butler had become an attorney and an official at a prominent Los Angeles church. Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025 Sheriff’s officials said a man was stabbed multiple times, and the wounded man staggered into a nearby church. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for church
Recent Examples of Synonyms for church
Noun
  • Ricardo Gil, general manager of Emanu-El Luxury Venue, the company that books and runs private events at the temple, says the technology has already attracted clients beyond the festival.
    Douglas Markowitz, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2025
  • Sites of note include historic temples like Wat Phranang Sang and the colorful Sino-Portuguese buildings of Phuket Old Town.
    Hannah Walhout, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
Noun
  • On Thursday, a quiet congregation gathered for Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, just blocks away from the site where protesters gathered to oppose immigration raids last month.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
  • In Tempe, a developer has agreed to restore and preserve a vacant historic church while building on the adjacent land, and throughout the Valley many church congregations have had to grapple with selling their buildings as membership dwindles.
    Corina Vanek, AZCentral.com, 7 July 2025
Noun
  • In a report released last year, the Rabbinical Assembly reaffirmed its ban on clergy officiating at weddings of intermarrying couples but called on members to be more welcoming toward mixed families.
    Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 7 July 2025
  • Reconciliation today Searching for a path forward, contemporary Sámi artist and Lutheran catechist Lars Levi Sunna began to produce church art that incorporated and celebrated pre-Christian Sámi symbols – some of the very traditions that had been demonized by clergy of the past.
    Thomas A. DuBois, The Conversation, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Some people strained for a view of the chapel, for a sight of the family.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 6 July 2025
  • In the 1880s structures were added including ranch houses, winery, a chapel and blacksmith and saddle shops.
    Paul Bersebach, Oc Register, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Many great cathedrals of Europe still inspire wonder hundreds of years after their completion.
    Esade Business & Law School, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • While many major programs have spent hundreds of millions on NFL-style cathedrals, UCF opened The Acrisure Bounce House in 2007 for roughly $55 million — a bargain at the time and an incredible steal by today’s standards.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2025
Noun
  • Renovation plans to this tabernacle feature a mental wellness center and a workout room.
    Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2025
  • Miller also noted that the original tabernacle of the church survived, along with 17th-century lead coffins that visitors can view under a glass floor.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Church.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/church. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

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