place of worship
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A building or structure dedicated to religious activities: A "place of worship" is any building or designated space where people gather as a group to perform religious rituals, prayers, or ceremonies. It serves as a communal center for a religious community.
Usage
- The term "place of worship" is a formal, inclusive noun phrase used to refer to buildings for any religion without specifying a particular faith. It is commonly used in legal, academic, and general descriptive contexts.
- It is typically used with prepositions like , , or .
- People gather at their place of worship every week.
- The new law protects all places of worship.
Examples
- Noun:
- The city has many beautiful places of worship, including churches, mosques, and temples.
- Respectful silence is expected inside a place of worship.
- The guidebook listed the historic place of worship as a must-see landmark.
Advanced Usage
- "Freedom of worship": This legal and social concept often includes the right to establish and attend a place of worship.
- The constitution guarantees freedom of worship, including the right to build a place of worship.
- "Interfaith place of worship": A building designed to be used by multiple different religious groups.
- The university built an interfaith place of worship to serve its diverse student body.
Variants and Related Words
- Sanctuary (n): Often refers to the holiest or most sacred part of a place of worship.
- The ceremony was held in the main sanctuary.
- House of worship (n): A near-identical synonym for "place of worship."
- The new house of worship opened its doors last month.
- Temple, church, mosque, synagogue, gurdwara (n): These are specific types of places of worship for particular religions (e.g., Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism).
Synonyms
- House of prayer: Emphasizes the primary activity conducted there.
- Sacred space: Can be broader, including natural or non-built areas considered holy.
- Shrine: Often a smaller or more specific site dedicated to a particular figure or event.
Related Phrases
- Attend a place of worship: To go to a religious service.
- My family attends our place of worship regularly.
- Desecrate a place of worship: To damage or show disrespect to a holy site (a serious crime in many jurisdictions).
- Vandalizing a place of worship is a hateful act.
Related Idioms
- (To be) on holy ground: This idiom conveys the sacredness of a location, which can include a formal place of worship.
- When you enter the ancient cathedral, you feel you are on holy ground.
Noun
- any building where congregations gather for prayer