Church1, n.
(66), n. [A-S. circ, ciric, circe, cyrce, cirice, cyrice, cyrece, O. Sax. kerika, Scot. kirk, which retains the Saxon pronunciation, D. kerk, Icel. kyrkia, Sw. kyrka, Dan. kirke, Ger. kirche, O. H. Ger. chirihha, chilichhā, chilchā, L. Ger. kerke, from Gr. κυριακή, κυριακόν, the Lord’s house, from κυριακός, concerning a master or lord, from κύριος, master, lord.]
Sense 1. A building set apart for Christian worship.
☞ “The title of church, which we with a fit reverence restrain to a Christian place of worship, was in earlier English not refused to the Jewish, or even to a heathen temple.” Trench.
Sense 2. A formally organized body of Christian believers worshiping together. “When they had ordained them elders in every church.” Acts xiv. 23.
Sense 3. A body of Christian believers, observing the same rites and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; as, the Roman Catholic church; the Presbyterian church.
Sense 4. The collective body of Christians, or of those who acknowledge Christ as the Savior of mankind.
Sense 5. The aggregate of religious influences in a community; ecclesiastical influence, authority, &c.; as, to array the power of the church against some form of moral evil.
Apostolical church. See APOSTOLICAL.—Catholic or universal church, the whole body of believers in Christ throughout the world.—Church militant. See MILITANT.—Church triumphant. See TRIUMPHANT.—Church session. See SESSION.—Invisible church, the collective body of true believers, including both those on earth and those in heaven.
☞ Church is often used in composition with other words to denote something belonging or relating to the church; as, church-authority; church-history; church-member; church-music, &c.