ecumenical

adjective

ec·​u·​men·​i·​cal ˌe-kyə-ˈme-ni-kəl How to pronounce ecumenical (audio)
-kyü-
1
a
: 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
ecumenically adverb

Examples of ecumenical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Reed does make many valid points about ecumenical hypocrisy and the iterative nature of organized religion. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 10 Sep. 2024 The Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration 2024 kicked off Thursday with an ecumenical service at Kingdom Apostolic Ministries, 4900 E. 38th St. and is in full swing through June 30. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 22 June 2024 Good Shepherd New York is an ecumenical church that has been based out of the Seminary since January 2020. Téa Kvetenadze, New York Daily News, 13 Apr. 2024 In this account, the postwar period marked the moment when Europeans discovered—or perhaps rediscovered—humanitarianism, universal human rights, ecumenical Christianity, the appreciation of diverse cultures, a respect for science, and a broadly accessible consumer culture. Paul Betts, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2020 See all Example Sentences for ecumenical 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ecumenical.' 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

Late Latin oecumenicus, from Late Greek oikoumenikos, from Greek oikoumenē the inhabited world, from feminine of oikoumenos, present passive participle of oikein to inhabit, from oikos house — more at vicinity

First Known Use

circa 1587, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of ecumenical was circa 1587

Dictionary Entries Near ecumenical

Cite this Entry

“Ecumenical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecumenical. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

ecumenical

adjective
ec·​u·​men·​i·​cal ˌek-yə-ˈmen-i-kəl How to pronounce ecumenical (audio)
1
: worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application
2
: of, relating to, or representing the whole of a body of churches
3
: leading toward agreement or cooperation among Christians
ecumenically adverb
Etymology

from Latin oecumenicus "worldwide," from Greek oikoumenē "the inhabited world," from oikein "to inhabit," from oikos "house"

More from Merriam-Webster on ecumenical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!