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Glite Dictionary
🚫 To remove authority ⛪ To remove clergy
to unfrock

to unfrock

9.9
To officially remove a priest from church duties for bad behaviour
  • verb
  • /ʌnˈfrɑk/
  • Literature
translation icon : defrockar
  • The bishop was unfrocked after allegations of misconduct came to light.

Examples

  • It is rare for the church to unfrock a priest, but exceptions do occur.

  • A formal decision to unfrock him was announced after a lengthy investigation.

  • The church decided to unfrock the priest after the scandal.

  • After the investigation, he was unfrocked for his actions.

  • The scandal led the bishop to unfrock the priest for his misconduct.

  • After the investigation, the church decided to unfrock the clergyman involved.

  • The congregation was shocked when they learned that the pastor had been unfrocked due to inappropriate behavior.

Synonyms

to defrock
vsto unfrock
  • Formal
6 9.1

To remove a priest or minister from their church job and rights

refers to the same removal but highlights clerical status and usual misconduct

Antonyms

to install
  • Formal
69 3.9

To put someone into an official job at a ceremony

to ordain
  • Formal
38 7.3

To make someone a priest or minister in a special religious ceremony

Surface Forms

unfrock infinitive
unfrocked past
unfrocked past participle
unfrocking present participle
unfrocks third person singular

Morphology

unfrock = frock (semi-transparent) = un + frock

The prefix 'un-' suggests removal, but the specific clerical context of 'frock' as a status is not immediately obvious.

Etymology

Unfrock comes from un- (meaning 'not' or 'remove') plus frock (meaning 'a priest's robe'), so it originally meant to take a priest's robe off. That's why to unfrock someone is to officially remove them from the priesthood.