High Church

American  

adjective

(sometimes lowercase)

1. pertaining to the view or practice in the Anglican church that emphasizes the Catholic tradition, especially in adherence to sacraments, rituals, and obedience to church authority.

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High Church British  

noun

1. the party or movement within the Church of England stressing continuity with Catholic Christendom, the authority of bishops, and the importance of sacraments, rituals, and ceremonies Compare Broad Church Low Church

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adjective

1. of or relating to this party or movement

Other Word Forms

• High Churchman noun
• High-Churchman noun

Etymology

Origin of High Church

First recorded in 1695–1705

Compare meaning

How does high-church compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• High Church vs. Low Church

Example Sentences

In return, Abigail “used her influence for the High Church and Harley, against the Whigs and Marlborough.”

From Slate • Nov. 26, 2018

The gray stone Stornoway High Church is where Trump’s mother and all nine of her siblings were baptized early in the last century.

From New York Times • Oct. 16, 2018

He is nostalgic and wistful, and his verse settles on the immutability of country lanes and thatched inns and of High Church Anglicanism.

From Washington Post • Aug. 5, 2016

I have always preferred early Eliot – I still think Prufrock the greatest of the poems – and this preachy, prosy, High Church sentiment has never been to my taste.

From The Guardian • Jan. 7, 2011

This led the clergy to look out for another basis, which they found in the reassertion of High Church and sacerdotal doctrines, such as apostolical succession, eucharistical real presence, and baptismal regeneration.

From Oxford and Her Colleges by Smith, Goldwin