Coptic

American  

[kop-tik] / ˈkɒp tɪk /

noun

1. an Afroasiatic language of Egypt descended from ancient Egyptian, largely extinct as a spoken language since the 16th century but surviving as the liturgical language of the Coptic Church.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Coptic or the Copts.

Coptic British  

/ ˈkɒptɪk /

noun

1. an Afro-Asiatic language, written in the Greek alphabet but descended from ancient Egyptian. It was extinct as a spoken language by about 1600 _ad but survives in the Coptic Church

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adjective

1. of or relating to this language

2. of or relating to the Copts

Etymology

Origin of Coptic

First recorded in 1670–80; Copt + -ic

Example Sentences

In the next gallery, a 15th-century Quran was displayed alongside a North African Torah and Coptic Christian Bible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

It, too, is a trove of exemplary works, from exquisite Raphael drawings to groovy 1970s plastic radios; Coptic tunics to Alexander McQueen couture gowns; vividly hued Islamic tiles to a bunch of grand English beds.

From New York Times • May 13, 2024

Monks in the Coptic Orthodox Church, one of the world's oldest churches, devote their lives to prayer and spiritual growth.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2024

In August 2022, a fire at a packed Coptic Orthodox church during morning services in Cairo killed 41 worshippers in what was one of Egypt’s deadliest fires in recent years.

From Washington Times • Oct. 2, 2023

Toward the end of the afternoon, they came upon a Coptic monastery.

From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho