ecclesiastical

adjective

ec·​cle·​si·​as·​ti·​cal i-ˌklē-zē-ˈa-sti-kəl How to pronounce ecclesiastical (audio)
e-ˌklē-
1
: of or relating to a church especially as an established institution
2
: suitable for use in a church
ecclesiastically adverb

Examples of ecclesiastical in a Sentence

ecclesiastical laws that have been in existence for centuries
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the days since Pope Francis’s death on Easter Monday, amid the mourning, marveling at the ecclesiastical opulence, and the reveling in what felt like the Catholic Super Bowl, the divine mystique of the whole affair has drawn the world in. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 May 2025 Fox taught that the Inner Light emancipates a person from adherence to any creed, ecclesiastical authority or ritual forms. Arkansas Online, 11 May 2025 However, John Prevost offered some insight into how his younger likes to take a break from weighty ecclesiastical issues when the two get a chance to talk. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 May 2025 This year, however, ecclesiastical tailor Ranieri Manchinelli, also in Rome, has prepared the new pope's vestments. Christopher Watson, ABC News, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ecclesiastical

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ecclesiasticall, from Late Latin ecclēsiasticus "of the Christian Church" + Middle English -all -al entry 1 — more at ecclesiastic entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ecclesiastical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecclesiastical. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

ecclesiastical

adjective
ec·​cle·​si·​as·​ti·​cal ik-ˌlē-zē-ˈas-ti-kəl How to pronounce ecclesiastical (audio)
e-ˌklē-
variants or ecclesiastic
-tik
: of or relating to a church
ecclesiastical history
ecclesiastically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ecclesiastical

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