definitions

ecclesiastic

[ ih-klee-zee-as-tik ]
/ ɪˌkli ziˈæs tɪk /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ecclesiastic ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a member of the clergy or other person in religious orders.
a member of the ecclesia in ancient Athens.

adjective

ecclesiastical.

RELATED WORDS

cleric, pastor, preacher, priest, minister, abbot, prelate, divine, chaplain, parson, reverend

Nearby words

eccles., ecclesia, ecclesial, ecclesiarch, ecclesiastes, ecclesiastic, ecclesiastical, ecclesiastical calendar, ecclesiastical commissioners, ecclesiastical court, ecclesiastical society

Origin of ecclesiastic

1475–85; < Late Latin ecclēsiasticus < Greek ekklēsiastikós. See Ecclesiastes, -ic
Related formsan·ti·ec·cle·si·as·tic, noun, adjectivenon·ec·cle·si·as·tic, adjective, nounun·ec·cle·si·as·tic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ecclesiastic

British Dictionary definitions for ecclesiastic

ecclesiastic

/ (ɪˌkliːzɪˈæstɪk) /

noun

a clergyman or other person in holy orders

adjective

of or associated with the Christian Church or clergy
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 ecclesiastic

ecclesiastic

adj.

late 15c., from Middle French ecclésiastique and directly from Late Latin ecclesiasticus, from Greek ekklesiastikos "of the (ancient Athenian) assembly," later, "of the church," from ekklesiastes "speaker in an assembly or church, preacher," from ekkalein "to call out," from ek "out" (see ex-) + kalein "to call" (see claim (v.)).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper