Anglican

[ang-gli-kuh n]

adjective

of or relating to the Church of England.

related in origin to and in communion with the Church of England, as various Episcopal churches in other parts of the world.

English(def 1).

noun

a member of the Church of England or of a church in communion with it.

a person who upholds the system or teachings of the Church of England.

Origin of Anglican

First recorded in 1625–35, Anglican is from the Medieval Latin word Anglicānus English. See Anglic, -an

Related formsAn·gli·can·ly, adverbnon-An·gli·can, adjective, nounpro-An·gli·can, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for anglican

Contemporary Examples of anglican

Britain is not illegitimate because it has a cross on its flag and an Anglican head of a state.
The Real Problem With the American Studies Association's Boycott of Israel
Peter Beinart
December 17, 2013
Something called the i-church is the first Internet community to be fully recognized as an Anglican church.
A Tweeting Pope Raises Questions About Social Media’s Effect on the Church
Lawrence M. Krauss
September 11, 2013
In Britain, there are plans for the first women bishops to be ordained in the Anglican Church as soon as 2014.
What About Women, Pope Francis?
Janine di Giovanni
August 1, 2013
Livingstone had now initiated two missions, one led by the first Anglican bishop to visit central Africa.
Dr. Livingstone, I Presume? The Victorian Explorer at 200
Tim Jeal
March 19, 2013
He converted from Greek Orthodox to the Anglican religion, and renounced his allegiance to the Greek crown.
The Grand Old Duke of Edinburgh: Why Everybody Loves Phil
Tom Sykes
November 23, 2012

Historical Examples of anglican

Newbury had been brought up in a home steeped in high Anglican tradition.
The Coryston Family
Mrs. Humphry Ward
He was the incarnation of the most aristocratic section of the Anglican Church.
The Missionary
George Griffith
These portions or branches were mainly three:—the Greek, Latin, and Anglican.
Apologia Pro Vita Sua
John Henry Cardinal Newman
In the spring of 1839 my position in the Anglican Church was at its height.
Apologia Pro Vita Sua
John Henry Cardinal Newman
His fine Anglican features underwent a series of contortions.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 150, January 5, 1916
Various

British Dictionary definitions for anglican

Anglican

adjective

denoting or relating to the Anglican communion

noun

a member of the Church of England or one of the Churches in full communion with it

Word Origin for Anglican

C17: from Medieval Latin Anglicānus, from Anglicus English, from Latin Anglī the Angles

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for anglican

Anglican

adj.

1630s, "of the reformed Church of England" (opposed to Roman), from Medieval Latin Anglicanus, from Anglicus "of the English people, of England" (see anglicize). The noun meaning "adherent of the reformed Church of England" is first recorded 1797.