source: By ~MVI~ - Nunoike Cathedral (Nagoya, Japan), CC 表示 2.0

a building used for public Christian worship:

(通例キリスト教の)教会(堂), 聖堂; ｟英｠ 国教会の教会 (!非国教会系や大学内の教会はchapel)

e.g. they came to church with me.

(Church) a particular Christian organization, typically one with its own clergy, buildings, and distinctive doctrines:

〖通例C-〗(キリスト教の)教派, (宗派としての)教会

e.g. the Church of England.

(the Church) the hierarchy of clergy of a Christian organization, especially the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of England.

〖(the) C-/the ～; 単数扱い〗 聖職, 僧職(clergy)

institutionalized religion as a political or social force:

〖しばしばC-〗(組織としての)教会; (王権･国家権力に対する)教権

e.g. the separation of church and state.

verb with object archaic

take (a woman who has recently given birth) to church for a service of thanksgiving.

Old English cir(i)ce, cyr(i)ce, related to Dutch kerk and German Kirche, based on medieval Greek kurikon, from Greek kuriakon (dōma) ‘Lord's (house)’, from kurios ‘master or lord’. Compare with kirk.