DIACONAL Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

diaconal

adjective

Definition of diaconal

as in apostolic

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for diaconal

Adjective

On June 2, 1979, Pope John Paul II set out from Rome on an apostolic journey, as papal trips away from the Vatican are called.

— Paul Elie, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church directed his remarks to university students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, during an 11-day apostolic journey in Africa.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Definition of apostolic

Adjective

After returning to the United States, Novakovic attended an Episcopal boarding school in San Antonio, Texas.

— byRachel Cole, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 May 2026
On New Year’s Eve in 1996, Christou followed Deadbeat with a club at a former Episcopal church that was built in 1865.

— Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026

Definition of episcopal

Adjective

The provincial headquarters are located in Nairobi, and the church conducts much of its work through diocesan offices, educational institutions, health care ministries, and development programs.

— Stephanie TriplettAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
Overall, diocesan officials said 1,059 people are expected to enter the Catholic Church in the Chicago diocese this year, up from 696 in 2025, a 52% increase.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026

Definition of diocesan

Adjective

Ghost have shared the new trailer for 2 Big to Rig, the upcoming concert film documenting the Swedish papal heavy metal outfit’s 2025 gigs in Mexico City.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026
The last few weeks have shown his governing style and a remarkable run of papal decision-making where Leo has set the agenda, rather than merely fulfill the appointments set by his predecessor.

— Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026

Definition of papal

Adjective

Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 May 2026
That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.

— Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026

Definition of pontifical

Adjective

The Zaporizhyan ecclesiastical design belonged to the Middle Dnieper architectural school and was built with wooden pegs instead of nails, using oak from a fortress.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
An East Texas federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in June, ruling that a First Amendment protection known as the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine applied to the church.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of ecclesiastical

Adjective

In canonical abuse investigations, victims are mere third-party witnesses to their cases.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
The situation began to change when the novelist Stewart O’Nan published an influential essay in the Boston Review in 1999, arguing for Yates as a canonical American author.

— Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026

Definition of canonical

Adjective

History Johann Ludwig Krapf, a German pastor and Anglican missionary, arrived to proselytize in what is now Kenya in 1844.

— Stephanie TriplettAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
The backstory The hotel is named after Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá, who, along with Franciscan missionary Father Junípero Serra, incorporated the city of Monterey in 1770.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026

Definition of missionary

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.

Browse Nearby Words

diabolisms

diaconal

diaconate

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Diaconal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diaconal. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of diaconal

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

salvo

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes