Definition

1. 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

1. any building where congregations gather for prayer