ecclesiastical

[ ih-klee-zee-as-ti-kuhl ]

/ ɪˌkli ziˈæs tɪ kəl /

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See synonyms for ecclesiastical on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or relating to the church or the clergy; churchly; clerical; not secular.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of ecclesiastical

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at Ecclesiastes, -ical

OTHER WORDS FROM ecclesiastical

ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal·ly, adverban·ti·ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal, adjectivean·ti·ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal·ly, adverbin·ter·ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal, adjective

in·ter·ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal·ly, adverbnon·ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal, adjectivenon·ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal·ly, adverbun·ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby ecclesiastical

ecclesia, ecclesial, ecclesiarch, Ecclesiastes, ecclesiastic, ecclesiastical, ecclesiastical calendar, Ecclesiastical Commissioners, ecclesiastical court, ecclesiastical society, ecclesiasticism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ecclesiastical in a sentence

So here, for your Christmas Eve pleasure, are 20 of my favorites, 10 from the ecclesiastical division and 10 secular.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.|Michael Tomasky|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rev. Schaefer stands in a long tradition of civil disobedience, or in this case, ecclesiastical disobedience.
Love Trumped Rules for Fired Methodist Rev. Frank Schaefer|Gene Robinson|December 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Literary history aside (or be damned), these anti-establishment, anti-ecclesiastical fabliaux are pure, unadulterated fun.
Read This and Blush: Naughty Medieval French Tales|Yunte Huang|June 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It seems that Bush is simply taking a stab at landscapes and ecclesiastical architecture.
George W. Bush ‘Comes Out’ As Artist|Lizzie Crocker|February 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

He told reporters last weekend that this pope would “confront, judge and punish these crimes under ecclesiastical rules.”
Should the Pope Resign?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|March 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The archbishop of Manila sends to the king (July 30, 1621) an account of ecclesiastical and some other affairs in his diocese.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
John Alphonsus Turretini died; professor of ecclesiastical history at Geneva, distinguished for his learning.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Condition of the archbishopric of Manila in regard to the affairs of ecclesiastical and secular government.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Though by birth duke of St. Cloud, he preferred the ecclesiastical state to political distinction.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Visitation of the ecclesiastical cabildo, clergy of Manila, and province of Pampanga.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ecclesiastical

ecclesiastical

/ (ɪˌkliːzɪˈæstɪkəl) /

adjective

of or relating to the Christian Church

Derived forms of ecclesiastical

ecclesiastically, adverb

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

ecclesiastical

Origin of ecclesiastical

OTHER WORDS FROM ecclesiastical

Words nearby ecclesiastical

Words related to ecclesiastical

How to use ecclesiastical in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ecclesiastical

Derived forms of ecclesiastical