Eucharist

American  

[yoo-kuh-rist] / ˈyu kə rɪst /

noun

1. none the Eucharist or the eucharist

   1. the Christian sacrament or rite of communion, an act of devotion in which bread and wine are consecrated, offered to God with thanks, and received by partakers as spiritual nourishment; the sacrifice of the Mass; the Lord's Supper.

   2. the consecrated elements of the rite of communion, especially the bread.

2. eucharist, the giving of thanks; thanksgiving.

   The Chapel represents a eucharist in stone and marble, commemorating the slain who served in the two World Wars.

3. Christian Science. spiritual communion with God.

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Eucharist British  

/ ˈjuːkərɪst /

noun

1. the Christian sacrament in which Christ's Last Supper is commemorated by the consecration of bread and wine

2. the consecrated elements of bread and wine offered in the sacrament

3. Mass, esp when regarded as the service where the sacrament of the Eucharist is administered

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Eucharist Cultural  

1. The sacrament of Communion among Christians (see also Christian).

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Other Word Forms

• Eucharistic adjective
• Eucharistical adjective
• Eucharistically adverb
• un-Eucharistic adjective
• un-Eucharistical adjective
• un-Eucharistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of Eucharist

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English eukarist, from Late Latin eucharistia, from Greek eucharístia “gratefulness, thanksgiving,” from euchárist(os) “grateful, thankful” (from eu- eu- + cháris “favor” + -tos, adjective suffix; charisma ) + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

His daughter Claire says her father, a devout Catholic convert, has been allowed to take the Eucharist only nine times in the last two-and-a-half years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

They're therefore absent from the liturgy and the Eucharist.

From Salon • Jul. 15, 2024

The bishops also heard a progress report on plans for a nationwide gathering in Indianapolis in July 2024 focused on devotion to the Eucharist — the communion celebration at the heart of Catholic worship.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2023

Mr Welby is speaking at the service of Holy Communion on Sunday, giving a longer version of the sermon during Easter Eucharist later in the morning.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2023

And the effect of this rearrangement is to make the mass seem less a prayer directed to God, more a communal celebration of the Eucharist.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez