temple

¹ American  

[tem-puhl] / ˈtɛm pəl /

noun

1. an edifice or place dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or deities.

2. (usually initial capital letter) any of the three successive houses of worship in Jerusalem in use by the Jews in Biblical times, the first built by Solomon, the second by Zerubbabel, and the third by Herod.

3. a synagogue, usually a Reform or Conservative one.

4. an edifice erected as a place of public worship; a church, especially a large or imposing one.

5. any place or object in which God dwells, as the body of a Christian. 1 Corinthians 6:19.

6. (in France) a Protestant church.

7. (in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) a building devoted to administering sacred ordinances, principally that of eternal marriage.

8. a building, usually large or pretentious, devoted to some public use.

   a temple of music.

9. (initial capital letter) either of two establishments of the medieval Templars, one in London and the other in Paris.

10. (initial capital letter) either of two groups of buildings (Inner Temple and Middle Temple) on the site of the Templars' former establishment in London, occupied by two of the Inns of Court.

11. a building used by the Templars in the United States.

12. a building used by any of various fraternal orders.

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temple ² American  

[tem-puhl] / ˈtɛm pəl /

noun

1. Anatomy. the flattened region on either side of the forehead in human beings.

2. Zoology. a corresponding region in certain animals.

3. Ophthalmology. either of the sidepieces of a pair of eyeglasses extending back above and often around the ears.

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temple ³ American  

[tem-puhl] / ˈtɛm pəl /

noun

1. a device in a loom for keeping the cloth stretched to the proper width during the weaving.

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Temple ⁴ American  

[tem-puhl] / ˈtɛm pəl /

noun

1. Shirley Shirley Temple Black, 1928–2014, U.S. film actress, famous for child roles during the 1930s, and diplomat.

2. Sir William, 1628–99, English essayist and diplomat.

3. a city in central Texas.

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Temple ¹ British  

/ ˈtɛmpəl /

noun

1. either of two buildings in London and Paris that belonged to the Templars. The one in London now houses two of the chief law societies

2. any of three buildings or groups of buildings erected by the Jews in ancient Jerusalem for the worship of Jehovah

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Temple ² British  

/ ˈtɛmpəl /

noun

1. Shirley, married name Shirley Temple Black. born 1928, US film actress and politician. Her films as a child star include Little Miss Marker (1934), Wee Willie Winkie (1937), and Heidi (1937). She was US ambassador to Ghana (1974–76) and to Czechoslovakia (1989–92)

2. Sir William. 1628–99, English diplomat and essayist. He negotiated the Triple Alliance (1668) and the marriage of William of Orange to Mary II

3. William. 1881–1944, English prelate and advocate of social reform; archbishop of Canterbury (1942–44)

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temple ³ British  

/ ˈtɛmpəl /

noun

1. the part of a loom that keeps the cloth being woven stretched to the correct width

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temple ⁴ British  

/ ˈtɛmpəl /

noun

1. the region on each side of the head in front of the ear and above the cheek bone

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temple ⁵ British  

/ ˈtɛmpəl /

noun

1. a building or place dedicated to the worship of a deity or deities

2. a Mormon church

3. another name for a synagogue

4. any Christian church, esp a large or imposing one

5. any place or object regarded as a shrine where God makes himself present, esp the body of a person who has been sanctified or saved by grace

6. a building regarded as the focus of an activity, interest, or practice

   a temple of the arts

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Temple Cultural  

1. The central place of worship for the Israelites. The first Temple was built in Jerusalem (see also Jerusalem) by King Solomon. The stone tablets received by Moses on Mount Sinai — tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written — were kept in the central chamber of Solomon's Temple. Solomon's Temple was later destroyed, as were two succeeding temples built on the site.

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Discover More

A wall remaining from the temples, known as the Western Wall, is one of the most sacred places for Jews (see also Jews) today.

Other Word Forms

• temple-like adjective
• templed adjective
• templelike adjective
• untempled adjective

Etymology

Origin of temple¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English templ(e), tempel(e), Old English tempel, templ, reinforced by Old French temple, from Latin templum “space demarcated by an augur for taking auspices, sacred precinct, temple; palate (of the mouth); purlin (of a roof frame)”; temple ³ ( def. )

Origin of temple²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English temple, tempel(le), tempil, from Old French temple, timple, from Vulgar Latin temp(u)la (unrecorded) for Latin tempora, plural (taken as feminine singular) of tempus “side of the forehead, temple”

Origin of temple³

First recorded in 1450–1500; earlier tempylle, from Middle French temple, from Latin templum “plank placed lengthwise in a roof, purlin”; perhaps originally the same word as temple ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A temple is a religious building that's meant for worshipping or praying. Hindu temples are typically devoted to one specific god. While temples tend to be associated with non-Christian religions like Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism, some sects of Orthodox Christianity worship in temples as well. The Mormon church also calls its sacred structures temples. The word comes from the Latin templum, "consecrated piece of ground" or "building for worship of a god," from a Proto-Indo-European root, tem-, "to cut," from the idea of a space cleared or "cut down" for an altar.

Example Sentences

The jewel of the program was the Parthenon, which was part temple to Athena and part strongbox for the tribute that flowed to Athens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

When “The Drama” prioritizes grace over judgment in the temple of the movie theater, people will listen.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

And their seemingly haphazard jumble is purposeful, reminding us that this is not a temple but a workshop, a place of ongoing activity in which new and experimental art is incubated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

"This was a matter of when, not if," Stern said she told someone while waiting across the street from the temple Thursday afternoon.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

I wanted to explain that I had been in charge of cleaning out all the birdcages and animal stalls back in the temple.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• chapel
• church
• house
• mosque
• pagoda
• place of worship
• sanctuary
• shrine
• synagogue