What does disfrock mean?
To disfrock someone — almost always a clergyman, monk, or friar — is to formally strip him of his religious status and the authority that goes with it. The image behind the word is literal: removing the frock, the garment that marks a man as a member of the clergy or a religious order. A priest who is disfrocked can no longer celebrate the sacraments, preach, or present himself as a minister of his church, though in some traditions he may remain technically ordained while being barred from exercising his office. The word belongs to formal, ecclesiastical language and appears most often in news reports about disciplinary proceedings within churches. In contemporary usage, however, 'defrock' has become the overwhelmingly dominant form, with 'unfrock' also attested; 'disfrock' survives chiefly in British writing and older texts, where it carries the same meaning with a slightly antique flavour.
verbTo deprive a clergyman or monk of his ecclesiastical status or the right to exercise his office; to strip a priest or friar of his religious vocation.
- To formally deprive a clergyman or monk of his ecclesiastical status, office, or the right to perform priestly duties.
"The bishop moved to disfrock the priest after the scandal became public."
"The church authorities voted to disfrock the vicar following allegations of financial misconduct."
"Canon law allowed the order to disfrock any brother who broke his solemn vows."
Before 'defrock' took over, English had three ways to strip a priest of his robes — 'unfrock', 'defrock', and 'disfrock' — and only one survived into common use.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of disfrock
Disfrock combines the prefix 'dis-' (indicating removal or reversal) with 'frock', the long-standing English word for a monk's or cleric's gown, itself of Germanic origin and recorded since Middle English. The verb arose by analogy with its older sibling 'unfrock', which dates to the 16th century, and alongside the later 'defrock'; all three use clothing imagery to describe expulsion from the clerical state.
Related word forms
How disfrock is actually used
Formal and largely ecclesiastical in register. 'Defrock' (and to a lesser extent 'unfrock') are now much more common; 'disfrock' may sound archaic or British to many readers.
Easily confused with disfrock
'Defrock' and 'unfrock' mean exactly the same thing as 'disfrock' but are far more common in modern usage; 'disfrock' is simply a rarer variant.