: 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
Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
Along with the Bible, some books (usually translated from Greek, Coptic, and Arabic) were thought to keep Ethiopia in touch with the lifeline of Christian truth.
—Peter Brown, The New York Review of Books, 24 Sep. 2020
The 18 kings and four queens are now on display on the lower level of this impeccable museum, which showcases snippets of Egypt’s history spanning the Pharaonic up to the Coptic and Islamic eras.
—Nada El Sawy, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2023
On April 9, suicide bombers attacked Coptic churches in the Egyptian cities of Tanta and Alexandria, killing more than 40 people at Palm Sunday services.
—Meir Walters, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2017
The blaze early Sunday ripped through a small Coptic church that also hosted a day care in the crowded Imbaba neighborhood, leaving both parishioners and children caught inside.
—Heba Farouk Mahfouz, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022
Hair-raising accounts of a similar sea monster were recorded by Alexandrian scribes as early as the second century A.D.; these accounts spread through Europe and Asia in Arabic, Coptic, Latin and Old English translations.
—Nina Goldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2023
In a centuries-long conflict, Egyptian Coptic monks and Ethiopian Orthodox monks have competed for the control of a small monastery located on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built at the site where Christians believe Christ was crucified, entombed and resurrected.
—Hiba Yazbek, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2023
Combining his Coptic skills and Young’s decipherment method, Champollion managed to translate additional cartouches and determine the phonetic values of a dozen hieroglyphs.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2022
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 codex features Coptic script, an Egyptian language written in the Greek alphabet primarily used by Christians.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
Along with the Bible, some books (usually translated from Greek, Coptic, and Arabic) were thought to keep Ethiopia in touch with the lifeline of Christian truth.
—Peter Brown, The New York Review of Books, 24 Sep. 2020
The 18 kings and four queens are now on display on the lower level of this impeccable museum, which showcases snippets of Egypt’s history spanning the Pharaonic up to the Coptic and Islamic eras.
—Nada El Sawy, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2023
On April 9, suicide bombers attacked Coptic churches in the Egyptian cities of Tanta and Alexandria, killing more than 40 people at Palm Sunday services.
—Meir Walters, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2017
The blaze early Sunday ripped through a small Coptic church that also hosted a day care in the crowded Imbaba neighborhood, leaving both parishioners and children caught inside.
—Heba Farouk Mahfouz, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022
Hair-raising accounts of a similar sea monster were recorded by Alexandrian scribes as early as the second century A.D.; these accounts spread through Europe and Asia in Arabic, Coptic, Latin and Old English translations.
—Nina Goldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2023
In a centuries-long conflict, Egyptian Coptic monks and Ethiopian Orthodox monks have competed for the control of a small monastery located on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built at the site where Christians believe Christ was crucified, entombed and resurrected.
—Hiba Yazbek, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2023
Combining his Coptic skills and Young’s decipherment method, Champollion managed to translate additional cartouches and determine the phonetic values of a dozen hieroglyphs.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Coptic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Coptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Coptic. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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