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ecumenical
[ ek-yoo-men-i-kuhl or, especially British, ee-kyoo- ]
/ ˈɛk yʊˈmɛn ɪ kəl or, especially British, ˈi kyʊ- /
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adjective
general; universal.
pertaining to the whole Christian church.
promoting or fostering Christian unity throughout the world.
of or relating to a movement (ecumenical movement ), especially among Protestant groups since the 1800s, aimed at achieving universal Christian unity and church union through international interdenominational organizations that cooperate on matters of mutual concern.
interreligious or interdenominational: an ecumenical marriage.
including or containing a mixture of diverse elements or styles; mixed: an ecumenical meal of German, Italian, and Chinese dishes.
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Also ec·u·men·ic; Archaic, oec·u·men·i·cal, oec·u·men·ic.
Origin of ecumenical
OTHER WORDS FROM ecumenical
Words nearby ecumenical
ECU, Ecua., Ecuador, Ecuadorean, ecumene, ecumenical, ecumenical council, ecumenicalism, ecumenical movement, ecumenical patriarch, ecumenicism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ecumenical in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ecumenical
ecumenical
oecumenical ecumenic or oecumenic
/ (ˌiːkjʊˈmɛnɪkəl, ˌɛk-) /
adjective
of or relating to the Christian Church throughout the world, esp with regard to its unity
- tending to promote unity among Churches
- of or relating to the international movement initiated among non-Catholic Churches in 1910 aimed at Christian unity: embodied, since 1937, in the World Council of Churches
rare universal; general; worldwide
Derived forms of ecumenical
ecumenically or oecumenically, adverbWord Origin for ecumenical
C16: via Late Latin from Greek oikoumenikos, from oikein to inhabit, from oikos house
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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