Melkite

or Mel·chite

[ mel-kahyt ]

noun

1. a Christian in Egypt and Syria who accepted the definition of faith adopted by the Council of Chalcedon in a.d. 451.

adjective

1. of or relating to the Melkites.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Melkite¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Medieval Latin Melchīta, from Medieval Greek Melchī́tēs, from Syriac malkākyā “royalist” (i.e., a supporter of the Byzantine emperor), from Syriac malkā “king” + Greek noun suffix -ītēs -ite ¹