"mother church" meaning in English

See mother church in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: mother churches [plural]
Etymology: From an association of spiritual comfort and hierarchy with familial relationships, probably originally as a calque of similar expressions in other languages, especially 2nd-century Latin mater ecclesia (“mother church”) and 12th-century Old French mere eglise (“mother church”). Etymology templates: {{der|en|la|mater ecclesia||mother church}} Latin mater ecclesia (“mother church”), {{der|en|fro|mere}} Old French mere Head templates: {{en-noun}} mother church (plural mother churches)
  1. (Christianity) The Church regarded as nourishing and protecting its members. Categories (topical): Christianity Derived forms: mothering, Mothering Sunday
    Sense id: en-mother_church-en-noun-YKcDE7Tz Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 4 22 29 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 57 5 17 21 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 66 3 14 16 Topics: Christianity
  2. (Christianity) A church with oversight over another or others, now especially a cathedral or metropolitan church. Categories (topical): Christianity
    Sense id: en-mother_church-en-noun-GRDbne8N Topics: Christianity
  3. (Christianity) The original church of a denomination, regarded as having birthed the others. Categories (topical): Christianity
    Sense id: en-mother_church-en-noun-DJLzzATC Topics: Christianity
  4. (Christianity) The original denomination or community of believers from which other denominations and communities of believers sprang. Categories (topical): Christianity
    Sense id: en-mother_church-en-noun-2xTo8FxM Topics: Christianity

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "mater ecclesia",
        "4": "",
        "5": "mother church"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin mater ecclesia (“mother church”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "mere"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French mere",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From an association of spiritual comfort and hierarchy with familial relationships, probably originally as a calque of similar expressions in other languages, especially 2nd-century Latin mater ecclesia (“mother church”) and 12th-century Old French mere eglise (“mother church”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "mother churches",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "mother church (plural mother churches)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Christianity",
          "orig": "en:Christianity",
          "parents": [
            "Abrahamism",
            "Religion",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 4 22 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "57 5 17 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "66 3 14 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "71 15 14 0",
          "word": "mothering"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 15 14 0",
          "word": "Mothering Sunday"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Catholics regard Mary as Mother of the Church but an all-male hierarchy as the Mother Church.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The Church regarded as nourishing and protecting its members."
      ],
      "id": "en-mother_church-en-noun-YKcDE7Tz",
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "Church",
          "Church"
        ],
        [
          "regard",
          "regard"
        ],
        [
          "nourish",
          "nourish"
        ],
        [
          "protect",
          "protect"
        ],
        [
          "member",
          "member"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Christianity) The Church regarded as nourishing and protecting its members."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Christianity",
          "orig": "en:Christianity",
          "parents": [
            "Abrahamism",
            "Religion",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Mothering Sunday arose from the custom of visiting mother churches at Mid-Lent, rather than the usual parish church.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A church with oversight over another or others, now especially a cathedral or metropolitan church."
      ],
      "id": "en-mother_church-en-noun-GRDbne8N",
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "church",
          "church"
        ],
        [
          "oversight",
          "oversight"
        ],
        [
          "another",
          "another"
        ],
        [
          "other",
          "other"
        ],
        [
          "now",
          "now"
        ],
        [
          "especially",
          "especially"
        ],
        [
          "cathedral",
          "cathedral"
        ],
        [
          "metropolitan",
          "metropolitan"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Christianity) A church with oversight over another or others, now especially a cathedral or metropolitan church."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Christianity",
          "orig": "en:Christianity",
          "parents": [
            "Abrahamism",
            "Religion",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The mother church of Christian Scientists is in Boston, Massachusetts.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The original church of a denomination, regarded as having birthed the others."
      ],
      "id": "en-mother_church-en-noun-DJLzzATC",
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "original",
          "original"
        ],
        [
          "church",
          "church"
        ],
        [
          "denomination",
          "denomination"
        ],
        [
          "regard",
          "regard"
        ],
        [
          "having",
          "having"
        ],
        [
          "birth",
          "birth"
        ],
        [
          "other",
          "other"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Christianity) The original church of a denomination, regarded as having birthed the others."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Christianity",
          "orig": "en:Christianity",
          "parents": [
            "Abrahamism",
            "Religion",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The Church of England is the mother church of Anglicans around the world.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1667, Matthew Poole, Dialogue between a Popish Priest & an English Protestant, page 35:",
          "text": "Not Rome, but Ierusalem should be the Mother Church.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1908 February, P.T. Forsyth, Contemporary Review, page 159:",
          "text": "Puritanism is the mother church of Western democracy.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The original denomination or community of believers from which other denominations and communities of believers sprang."
      ],
      "id": "en-mother_church-en-noun-2xTo8FxM",
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "original",
          "original"
        ],
        [
          "denomination",
          "denomination"
        ],
        [
          "community",
          "community"
        ],
        [
          "believer",
          "believer"
        ],
        [
          "other",
          "other"
        ],
        [
          "communities",
          "communities"
        ],
        [
          "sprang",
          "sprang"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Christianity) The original denomination or community of believers from which other denominations and communities of believers sprang."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "mother church"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Old French",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "mothering"
    },
    {
      "word": "Mothering Sunday"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "mater ecclesia",
        "4": "",
        "5": "mother church"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin mater ecclesia (“mother church”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "mere"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French mere",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From an association of spiritual comfort and hierarchy with familial relationships, probably originally as a calque of similar expressions in other languages, especially 2nd-century Latin mater ecclesia (“mother church”) and 12th-century Old French mere eglise (“mother church”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "mother churches",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "mother church (plural mother churches)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Christianity"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Catholics regard Mary as Mother of the Church but an all-male hierarchy as the Mother Church.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The Church regarded as nourishing and protecting its members."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "Church",
          "Church"
        ],
        [
          "regard",
          "regard"
        ],
        [
          "nourish",
          "nourish"
        ],
        [
          "protect",
          "protect"
        ],
        [
          "member",
          "member"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Christianity) The Church regarded as nourishing and protecting its members."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Christianity"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Mothering Sunday arose from the custom of visiting mother churches at Mid-Lent, rather than the usual parish church.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A church with oversight over another or others, now especially a cathedral or metropolitan church."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "church",
          "church"
        ],
        [
          "oversight",
          "oversight"
        ],
        [
          "another",
          "another"
        ],
        [
          "other",
          "other"
        ],
        [
          "now",
          "now"
        ],
        [
          "especially",
          "especially"
        ],
        [
          "cathedral",
          "cathedral"
        ],
        [
          "metropolitan",
          "metropolitan"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Christianity) A church with oversight over another or others, now especially a cathedral or metropolitan church."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Christianity"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The mother church of Christian Scientists is in Boston, Massachusetts.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The original church of a denomination, regarded as having birthed the others."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "original",
          "original"
        ],
        [
          "church",
          "church"
        ],
        [
          "denomination",
          "denomination"
        ],
        [
          "regard",
          "regard"
        ],
        [
          "having",
          "having"
        ],
        [
          "birth",
          "birth"
        ],
        [
          "other",
          "other"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Christianity) The original church of a denomination, regarded as having birthed the others."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Christianity"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The Church of England is the mother church of Anglicans around the world.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1667, Matthew Poole, Dialogue between a Popish Priest & an English Protestant, page 35:",
          "text": "Not Rome, but Ierusalem should be the Mother Church.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1908 February, P.T. Forsyth, Contemporary Review, page 159:",
          "text": "Puritanism is the mother church of Western democracy.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The original denomination or community of believers from which other denominations and communities of believers sprang."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "original",
          "original"
        ],
        [
          "denomination",
          "denomination"
        ],
        [
          "community",
          "community"
        ],
        [
          "believer",
          "believer"
        ],
        [
          "other",
          "other"
        ],
        [
          "communities",
          "communities"
        ],
        [
          "sprang",
          "sprang"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Christianity) The original denomination or community of believers from which other denominations and communities of believers sprang."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "mother church"
}

Download raw JSONL data for mother church meaning in English (4.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-08 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (bb46d54 and 0c3c9f6). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.