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ecclesiastical court

American

noun

a church court in ecclesiastical matters, presided over by members of the clergy and usually having no compulsory jurisdiction.

Etymology

Origin of ecclesiastical court

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The matter be decided at a consistory court hearing, which is an ecclesiastical court dealing with matters of law relating to the Church - mainly in relation to its buildings.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2022

Wendt was tried by an ecclesiastical court for disobeying the bishop’s orders.

From Washington Post • Sep. 5, 2019

Church spies hauled everyday people into ecclesiastical court for infractions such as eating meat during Lent, and priest-judges passed sentence.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 2018

In May 2011, the man filed a complaint with Peru’s ecclesiastical court that was forwarded to the Vatican.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2018

Divorce Procedure.—As before stated the suit for divorce must be brought before the ecclesiastical court.

From Marriage and Divorce Laws of the World by Ringrose, Hyacinthe

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023