English Dictionary: Established Church | by the DICT Development Group |
2 results for Established Church | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Church \Church\, n. [OE. chirche, chireche, cherche, Scot. kirk, from AS. circe, cyrice; akin to D. kerk, Icel. kirkja, Sw. kyrka, Dan. kirke, G. kirche, OHG. chirihha; all fr. Gr. [?] the Lord's house, fr. [?] concerning a master or lord, fr. [?] master, lord, fr. [?] power, might; akin to Skr. [87][d4]ra hero, Zend. [87]ura strong, OIr. caur, cur, hero. Cf. {Kirk}.] 1. A building set apart for Christian worship. 2. A Jewish or heathen temple. [Obs.] --Acts xix. 37. 3. A formally organized body of Christian believers worshiping together. [bd]When they had ordained them elders in every church.[b8] --Acts xiv. 23. 4. A body of Christian believers, holding the same creed, observing the same rites, and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a denomination; as, the Roman Catholic church; the Presbyterian church. 5. The collective body of Christians. 6. Any body of worshipers; as, the Jewish church; the church of Brahm. 7. The aggregate of religious influences in a community; ecclesiastical influence, authority, etc.; as, to array the power of the church against some moral evil. Remember that both church and state are properly the rulers of the people, only because they are their benefactors. --Bulwer. Note: Church is often used in composition to denote something belonging or relating to the church; as, church authority; church history; church member; church music, etc. {Apostolic church}. See under {Apostolic}. {Broad church}. See {Broad Church}. {Catholic [or] Universal} {church}, the whole body of believers in Christ throughout the world. {Church of England}, or {English church}, the Episcopal church established and endowed in England by law. {Church living}, a benefice in an established church. {Church militant}. See under {Militant}. {Church owl} (Zo[94]l.), the white owl. See {Barn owl}. {Church rate}, a tax levied on parishioners for the maintenance of the church and its services. {Church session}. See under {Session}. {Church triumphant}. See under {Triumphant}. {Church work}, work on, or in behalf of, a church; the work of a particular church for the spread of religion. {Established church}, the church maintained by the civil authority; a state church. |