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Glite Dictionary
to defrock

to defrock

6 9.1
To remove a priest or minister from their church job and rights
  • verb
  • /dɪˈfrɑk/
  • Formal
translation icon : desaforar
  • A defrocked Cistercian, he was a member of the List Society who developed an even more idiosyncratic version of neopaganism.
  • defrocked priest
  • defrocked Catholic

So part of my mission now is to defrock cynicism and take away some of its shine in our cultural landscape.

Examples

  • However, we are told that he was subsequently defrocked.

    Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

  • And they defrocked me!

    JFK (1991)

  • And of course I assumed I would be defrocked.

    Deliver Us from Evil (2014)

  • They should defrock him or disbar him, or whatever they do.

    Avanti! (1972)

  • And that pastor should be condemned by his colleagues and defrocked.

    Blog text (30)

  • This man is a menace to the Church, and must be defrocked and excommunicated!

    Wesley (2009)

  • Why were you defrocked?

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Priests, even defrocked priests, don't go in for hocus-pocus.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • I repeat, the Pope did not demote or defrock the disgraced Cardinal Law; he rewarded him with a cushy, prestigious new job.

    Blog text (19)

  • The bishop decided to defrock the priest after the allegations came to light.

Synonyms

to deconsecrate
vsto defrock
  • Formal
1 9.9

Officially say that a place such as a church or altar is no longer holy

removes official role and church privileges rather than sacred status
to unfrock
vsto defrock
  • Literature
9.9

To officially remove a priest from church duties for bad behaviour

is formal removal of office and privileges without stressing punishment

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

How Severe

to excommunicate
  • Formal
24 9.3
to defrock
  • Formal
6 9.1
to suspend
  • Formal
289 4.2
to censure
  • Formal
26 7.7
to reprimand
  • Formal
33 6.1

Surface Forms

defrock infinitive
defrocked past
defrocked past participle
defrocking present participle
defrocks third person singular

Morphology

defrock = frock (semi-transparent) = de + frock + de

Formally 'de-' + 'frock' signals removal, but the modern sense 'remove from clerical office' is a metaphorical extension beyond simply taking off a garment.

Etymology

Defrock comes from the parts de- meaning 'off' and frock meaning 'robe', so it originally meant to 'take off the robe'. That's why to defrock a priest is to take away their official robe, role, and rights in the church.