ecumenical

ec·u·men·i·cal | \ ˌe-kyə-ˈme-ni-kəl

How to pronounce ecumenical (audio)

, -kyü- \

Definition of ecumenical

1a : of, relating to, or representing the whole of a body of churches

b : promoting or tending toward worldwide Christian unity or cooperation

2 : worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application

Other Words from ecumenical Example Sentences Learn More about ecumenical

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of ecumenical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The origins of the split over when to officially recognize the birth of Jesus Christ stretch back all the way to A.D. 325, when a group of Christian bishops convened the religion’s first ecumenical conference. — Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, "Why some people celebrate Christmas in January," 26 Dec. 2019 The first woman elected as bishop of the Oregon division of the Lutheran church took the reins Saturday at an ecumenical worship service held in Portland’s Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. — oregonlive, "First woman bishop of Oregon’s division of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America welcomed," 14 Dec. 2019 The day began with an ecumenical prayer service at First Christian Church in Frankfort. — Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal, "Teachers front and center in celebration of new Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear," 11 Dec. 2019 The school was created as an ecumenical school, inclusive of all faith traditions. — Brian Albrecht, cleveland, "Urban Community School beat the odds to become a beacon for low-income students: Cleveland Champions," 1 Dec. 2019 An ecumenical community Thanksgiving service, sponsored by the Park Ridge Ministerial Association, will take place Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Park Ridge Community Church, 100 S. Courtland, Park Ridge. — Jennifer Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "What’s happening in Park Ridge: Volunteers sought for Blanket of Dreams; food drive, Toys for Tots launched," 18 Nov. 2019 West is ecumenical: He was married by a Pentecostal minister, while his wife and his children have been baptized in the Armenian Orthodox Church (at the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, in Vagharshapat, Armenia). — Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, "The Gospel According to Kanye," 7 Nov. 2019 The most comprehensive and widely shared statement of Christian orthodoxy is found in the creed first adopted at an ecumenical council convened by Constantine in the city of Nicaea in 325 a.d. — Christopher Beha, Harper's magazine, "How to Read the Bible," 28 Oct. 2019 Despite the stipulation, the school’s founding is an ecumenical triumph: Twenty-two of the buildings were granted for the Catholic school’s operations, and six were given to a group that would preserve Moody’s legacy through a museum. — William Z. Nardi, National Review, "A Traditional Catholic College in the Second-Least Religious State," 9 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ecumenical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about ecumenical

Dictionary Entries near ecumenical

ecumenical patriarch

ecumenical patriarchate

Statistics for ecumenical

Last Updated

1 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ecumenical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecumenical. Accessed 27 Feb. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

trenchant

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

More Confusing Words—Quiz

The magician ______ moved the selected card to the top of the deck.

discreetly discretely

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.