Antonyms for church

Grammar : Noun

Spell : church

Phonetic Transcription : tʃɜrtʃ

Definition of church

Origin : Old English cirice, circe "church, public place of worship; Christians collectively," from West Germanic *kirika (cf. Old Saxon kirika, Old Norse kirkja, Old Frisian zerke, Middle Dutch kerke, Dutch kerk, Old High German kirihha, German Kirche), probably [see note in OED] from Greek kyriake (oikia), kyriakon doma "Lord's (house)," from kyrios "ruler, lord," from PIE root *keue- "to swell" ("swollen," hence "strong, powerful"); see cumulus. Phonetic spelling from c.1200, established by 16c. For vowel evolution, see bury. As an adjective from 1570s.
Greek kyriakon (adj.) "of the Lord" was used of houses of Christian worship since c.300, especially in the East, though it was less common in this sense than ekklesia or basilike. An example of the direct Greek-to-Germanic progress of many Christian words, via the Goths; it probably was used by West Germanic people in their pre-Christian period.
Also picked up by Slavic, probably via Germanic (e.g. Old Church Slavonic criky, Russian cerkov). Finnish kirkko, Estonian kirrik are from Scandinavian. Romance and Celtic languages use variants of Latin ecclesia (e.g. French église, 11c.).
Church-bell was in late Old English. Church-goer is from 1680s. Church key is early 14c.; slang use for "can or bottle opener" is by 1954, probably originally U.S. college student slang. Church-mouse, proverbial in many languages for its poverty, is 1731 in English.

noun religious institution, building
noun religious belief, group

Example sentences :

"And of course we must go to the Episcopal church there," said Psyche.
Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson

He had communicated with Mr Clayton's church for many years.
Extract from : « Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327 » by Various

The thin examiner held the high office of deacon of the church.
Extract from : « Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327 » by Various

You must propose an examination of his affairs on the part of the church.
Extract from : « Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327 » by Various

Well, it might be—why had he not selected an elder member of the Church?
Extract from : « Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327 » by Various

But every eye was upon me, and the Church was silent as death, waiting for my rising.
Extract from : « Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327 » by Various

She said all was cold in the church, and nothing to catch hold on there.
Extract from : « Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327 » by Various

The next morning was Sunday; and I walked out, towards the church.
Extract from : « Sunday under Three Heads » by Charles Dickens

But the Church population is occasionally recruited from all the ends of the earth.
Extract from : « The Grand Old Man » by Richard B. Cook

By this measure all legal proceedings for the recovery of church rates were abolished.
Extract from : « The Grand Old Man » by Richard B. Cook

Synonyms for church

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019