: an Afro-Asiatic language descended from ancient Egyptian and used as the liturgical language of the Coptic church
Examples of Coptic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Khalil Al-Anani, Foreign Affairs, 8 Jan. 2017
The few remaining Ethiopian monks took shelter on the property of the Egyptian Coptic Church.
—Hiba Yazbek, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2023
Melbourne officers arrived to the Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church around 7:45 a.m. in response to an incident involving church officials and a man later identified as Mark Patrick Soliman, the agency said in a statement.
—Lisa Maria Garza, orlandosentinel.com, 21 Feb. 2021
Claire Turrell, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
One of the men was from Ghana and chose to stay with the Coptic men and face the same fate.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2025
Helmy, the only Arab-American and first Coptic Christian in the Senate, was appointed over the summer when Bob Menendez resigned following his conviction on federal corruption charges.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 3 Dec. 2024
Just one week before the election, Trump directed a post on the social-media platform X to Coptic Christians in the United States —- whose church has ancient roots in Egypt.
—Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2024
But examples of similar texts exist in Latin, Hebrew, Coptic, Syriac, Armenian and Georgian.
—Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
An example last year involved Coptic schoolchildren who taped a 30-second cell phone video of themselves mocking ISIS.
—Nina Shea, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2017
The group has as many as 3,000 active members, and its fighters have beheaded Ethiopian Coptic workers and attacked the Moroccan and South Korean embassies.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2016
Approximately three-quarters of Christians in the region are Arab and tend to belong to ancient, apostolic denominations such as the Greek Orthodox, Coptic and Catholic churches.
—Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 27 June 2024
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Noun
Anyone seeking evidence of creeping Islamist radicalization in Egypt under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s repressive regime need look no further than the bombing of the Coptic Orthodox church in Cairo on December 10.
—Khalil Al-Anani, Foreign Affairs, 8 Jan. 2017
The few remaining Ethiopian monks took shelter on the property of the Egyptian Coptic Church.
—Hiba Yazbek, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2023
Melbourne officers arrived to the Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church around 7:45 a.m. in response to an incident involving church officials and a man later identified as Mark Patrick Soliman, the agency said in a statement.
—Lisa Maria Garza, orlandosentinel.com, 21 Feb. 2021
Adjective
The word is thought to have its roots in the Egyptian Coptic word kenefiten, which translates to cake.
—Claire Turrell, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
One of the men was from Ghana and chose to stay with the Coptic men and face the same fate.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2025
Helmy, the only Arab-American and first Coptic Christian in the Senate, was appointed over the summer when Bob Menendez resigned following his conviction on federal corruption charges.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 3 Dec. 2024
Just one week before the election, Trump directed a post on the social-media platform X to Coptic Christians in the United States —- whose church has ancient roots in Egypt.
—Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2024
But examples of similar texts exist in Latin, Hebrew, Coptic, Syriac, Armenian and Georgian.
—Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
An example last year involved Coptic schoolchildren who taped a 30-second cell phone video of themselves mocking ISIS.
—Nina Shea, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2017
The group has as many as 3,000 active members, and its fighters have beheaded Ethiopian Coptic workers and attacked the Moroccan and South Korean embassies.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2016
Approximately three-quarters of Christians in the region are Arab and tend to belong to ancient, apostolic denominations such as the Greek Orthodox, Coptic and Catholic churches.
—Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 27 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Coptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Coptic. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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