church noun

¹ building where Christians go to worship

ADJ. local, parish, village

VERB + CHURCH build | consecrate, found The church was consecrated in 1250. | dedicate The church is dedicated to St Paul.

CHURCH + NOUN bells, clock, steeple, tower | hall | fete

PREP. at a/the ~ a chamber concert at our local church | in a/the ~ There's an interesting organ in the village church.

² meeting for public worship in a church

VERB + CHURCH attend, go to Do you go to church?

CHURCH + NOUN service | music

PREP. after/before ~ Come to our place for lunch after church. | at/in ~ Mrs Parsons wasn't at church this Sunday.

³ the Church: all Christians regarded as a group

ADJ. early The early Church believed miracles were proof of who Jesus was.

VERB + CHURCH enter, go into He went into the Church (= became a priest) when he was 23. | leave He left the Church after a loss of faith.

CHURCH + NOUN authorities, leaders, member4 particular group of Christians

ADJ. high, low He loves all the high church traditions?incense and processions and vestments. | evangelical, fundamentalist | established (= official), free (= nonconformist) | Christian, etc.

CHURCH + NOUN authorities, elder, leader, member

PHRASES a member of a church