ecclesiastical
adjective
ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal
| \ i-ˌklē-zē-ˈa-sti-kəl
, e-ˌklē-\
, e-ˌklē-\
Definition of ecclesiastical
1
: of or relating to a church especially as an established institution
2
: suitable for use in a church
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Other Words from ecclesiastical
ecclesiastically
\ i-ˌklē-zē-ˈa-sti-k(ə-)lē
, e-ˌklē- \
adverb
, e-ˌklē- \
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for ecclesiastical
Synonyms
churchly, ecclesial, ecclesiastic
Antonyms
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Examples of ecclesiastical in a Sentence
ecclesiastical laws that have been in existence for centuries
Recent Examples on the Web
The trial was convened as a synod with all the cardinals, bishops, and other ecclesiastical dignitaries in full attendance. — National Geographic, "In 897, the corpse of a pope was exhumed—to be put on trial.," 20 Aug. 2019 The effect is madcap-Victorian-ecclesiastical, a shrine to obsessive collecting. — Amy Merrick, WSJ, "The Cultish Home That Draws Fans of Americana Design," 3 Aug. 2018 But Cardinal Ortega’s beginnings were modest, and his climb up the ecclesiastical ladder was arduous. — Peter Orsi, BostonGlobe.com, "Cardinal Ortega, former archbishop of Havana, at 82," 27 July 2019 For the ecclesiastical propagandists who first proposed the idea, the Huns were an obvious choice of predecessor. — Jacob Mikanowski, Harper's magazine, "The Call of the Drums," 21 July 2019 This exposed him early to sacred music in an ecclesiastical context. — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, "A Millennial Countertenor’s Pop-Star Appeal," 15 July 2019 When the last of the Anglican ecclesiastical refugees dies, if no change has been made in the meantime, the Catholic priesthood of the Western or Latin rite will go back to being entirely celibate. — Erasmus, The Economist, "Why Pope Francis may open the door to married priests," 18 June 2019 Above all, John provoked the most effective baronial and ecclesiastical revolt of the Middle Ages and endured the humiliation of submitting to its demands. — Allan Massie, WSJ, "‘The Restless Kings’ Review: A Family at War With Itself," 11 Jan. 2019 Ninomiya’s all-black ensembles underlined his inventive use of fabric, while Piccioli’s colorful nylon capes suggested ecclesiastical astronauts. — Erik Maza, Town & Country, "The Reimagining of a Classic Moncler Jacket," 20 Nov. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ecclesiastical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ecclesiastical
ecclesiastical
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of ecclesiastical
: of or relating to the Christian church or clergy
See the full definition for ecclesiastical in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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