A church is a building in which Christians hold religious services.
You use church with no determiner, and immediately after a preposition, when you are talking about a religious service in a church. For example, if someone goes to a service in a church, you say that they go to church.
A mosque is a building where Muslims hold religious services, and a synagogue is a building where Jewish people hold religious services. When you are talking about a religious service in a mosque or a synagogue, you usually use a preposition followed by a determiner, but sometimes the determiner is omitted.
Imperative |
---|
church |
church |
Noun | 1. | ![]() organized religion, religion, faith - an institution to express belief in a divine power; "he was raised in the Baptist religion"; "a member of his own faith contradicted him" Christendom, Christianity - the collective body of Christians throughout the world and history (found predominantly in Europe and the Americas and Australia); "for a thousand years the Roman Catholic Church was the principal church of Christendom" Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church, Armenian Church - an independent Christian church established in Armenia since 300; was influenced by both Roman and Byzantine traditions Catholic Church - any of several churches claiming to have maintained historical continuity with the original Christian Church Nestorian Church - a Christian Church in the Middle East that followed Nestorianism; there is still a small Nestorian Church in Iraq Coptic Church - the ancient Christian church of Egypt Protestant Church, Protestant - the Protestant churches and denominations collectively Unification Church - a Christian church (with some Buddhist elements) founded in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon and known for staging mass weddings and other communal activities Christian - a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination |
2. | ![]() church service, church - a service conducted in a house of worship; "don't be late for church" abbey - a church associated with a monastery or convent amen corner - area reserved for persons leading the responsive `amens' apse, apsis - a domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church; usually contains the altar basilica - an early Christian church designed like a Roman basilica; or a Roman Catholic church or cathedral accorded certain privileges; "the church was raised to the rank of basilica" cathedral - any large and important church bema, chancel, sanctuary - area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing church tower - the tower of a church kirk - a Scottish church lady chapel - a small chapel in a church; dedicated to the Virgin Mary narthex - a vestibule leading to the nave of a church nave - the central area of a church house of God, house of prayer, house of worship, place of worship - any building where congregations gather for prayer presbytery - building reserved for the officiating clergy rood screen - a screen in a church; separates the nave from the choir or chancel side chapel - a small chapel off the side aisle of a church transept - structure forming the transverse part of a cruciform church; crosses the nave at right angles | |
3. | ![]() divine service, religious service, service - the act of public worship following prescribed rules; "the Sunday service" Divine Office - canonical prayers recited daily by priests (e.g. the breviary of the Roman Catholic Church) church building, church - a place for public (especially Christian) worship; "the church was empty" church bell - a bell in a church tower (usually sounded to summon people to church); "church bells were ringing all over town" crypt - a cellar or vault or underground burial chamber (especially beneath a church) hassock - a cushion for kneeling on (as when praying in church) spire, steeple - a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top Puritanism - the beliefs and practices characteristic of Puritans (most of whom were Calvinists who wished to purify the Church of England of its Catholic aspects) banns - a public announcement of a proposed marriage preaching, sermon, discourse - an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service) Anglican Church, Anglican Communion, Church of England - the national church of England (and all other churches in other countries that share its beliefs); has its see in Canterbury and the sovereign as its temporal head High Anglican Church, High Church - a group in the Anglican Church that emphasizes the Catholic tradition (especially in sacraments and rituals and obedience to church authority) separationist, separatist - an advocate of secession or separation from a larger group (such as an established church or a national union) disestablish - deprive (an established church) of its status | |
4. | church - the body of people who attend or belong to a particular local church; "our church is hosting a picnic next week" body - a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity; "the whole body filed out of the auditorium"; "the student body"; "administrative body" Christendom, Christianity - the collective body of Christians throughout the world and history (found predominantly in Europe and the Americas and Australia); "for a thousand years the Roman Catholic Church was the principal church of Christendom" | |
Verb | 1. | church - perform a special church rite or service for; "church a woman after childbirth" perform - perform a function; "Who will perform the wedding?" |