ecclesiastic

1 of 2

adjective

ec·​cle·​si·​as·​tic i-ˌklē-zē-ˈa-stik How to pronounce ecclesiastic (audio)
e-ˌklē-

ecclesiastic

2 of 2

noun

Examples of ecclesiastic in a Sentence

Adjective a council to make final determinations on ecclesiastic matters Noun as the leading ecclesiastic for his church in the state, the bishop must be beyond reproach in everything he does
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
America has no aristocracy or ecclesiastic master class. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 12 Feb. 2022 The Vatican defended the extension by saying the agreement was purely ecclesiastic and pastoral in nature, and not political. Nicole Winfield, Star Tribune, 22 Oct. 2020 The motif appeared in ecclesiastic architecture from the 13th to the 15th centuries. Jasper Bastian, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Sep. 2020 The church is an example of early ecclesiastic architecture, is the second oldest synagogue remaining in Cincinnati and is the oldest still church still used for religious purposes. Max Londberg, Cincinnati.com, 5 Aug. 2019 Wuerl’s denial corresponds with the public record, which provides ample evidence that McCarrick lived a life completely devoid of ecclesiastic restriction after the sanctions were said to have been imposed in 2009 or 2010. Nicole Winfield, The Seattle Times, 28 Aug. 2018 To Poroshenko, who came to power in 2014 after violent protests ousted his pro-Moscow predecessor, Ukraine's ecclesiastic independence is not just a matter of squabbles of elderly, long-bearded men with archaic names. Mansur Mirovalev, latimes.com, 29 May 2018 At both, models wore crucifix-adorned masks that nodded to the dark universe of Joel-Peter Witkin and brocades that seemed to reference ecclesiastic garments. Vogue, 24 Apr. 2018
Noun
Of all the precious goods accumulated by the rulers and ecclesiastics of late medieval Ethiopia, the most charged of all were books. Peter Brown, The New York Review of Books, 24 Sep. 2020 This shop for ecclesiastics has an exquisite selection of high-quality pieces. Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2019 Rather, Ryrie, a prize-winning historian as well as an ecclesiastic, has broadened his scope to take in nearly 750 years of doubt and disbelief in the professedly Christian West. Graham Hillard, National Review, 5 Dec. 2019 The old cloister, as the walled domain of the Chapter of Canons was called, housed unusual and not invariably pious persons, as well as the worldly ecclesiastics themselves. Bruce Dale, National Geographic, 17 Apr. 2019 This was the Fairy Tree L’Arbre des Dames or Le Beau Mai tree, whereupon extra-ecclesiastic celebrations were staged. C.d. Wright, Harper's magazine, 10 Jan. 2019 There are nearly 70 community leaders — from entrepreneurs to ecclesiastics (and a rabbi thrown in for good measure) — who have joined to address the problems that have held Louisville back for decades. Joseph Gerth, The Courier-Journal, 2 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ecclesiastic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Late Latin ecclēsiasticus "of the Christian Church," borrowed from Late Greek ekklēsiastikós "of the Church, of Christians, of clerics (as opposed to laymen)," going back to Greek, "of the public assembly," from ekklēsiastḗs "participant in an assembly of citizens" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at ecclesiastes

Noun

borrowed from Late Latin ecclēsiasticus "member of the Christian Church, cleric," noun derivative of ecclēsiasticus "of the Christian Church" — more at ecclesiastic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ecclesiastic was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near ecclesiastic

Cite this Entry

“Ecclesiastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecclesiastic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ecclesiastic

noun
ec·​cle·​si·​as·​tic
ik-ˌlē-zē-ˈas-tik,
e-ˌklē-

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