Ecclesiastes

noun

Ec·​cle·​si·​as·​tes i-ˌklē-zē-ˈa-(ˌ)stēz How to pronounce Ecclesiastes (audio)
e-ˌklē-
: a book of wisdom literature in canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture see Bible Table

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin Ecclēsiastēs, borrowed from Greek Ekklēsiastḗs, from ekklēsiastḗs "participant in an assembly of citizens" (adapted by the Septuagint translators as a rendering of Hebrew qōheleth, named in the title verse as the author of the Biblical book), from ekklēsiázein "to hold a public assembly, be a member of the assembly" (verbal derivative of ekklēsía "assembly of citizens") + -tēs, agent suffix — more at ecclesial

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ecclesiastes was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Ecclesiastes

ecclesiast

Ecclesiastes

ecclesiastic

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Cite this Entry

“Ecclesiastes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ecclesiastes. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

Ecclesiastes

noun
Ec·​cle·​si·​as·​tes ik-ˌlē-zē-ˈas-(ˌ)tēz How to pronounce Ecclesiastes (audio)
e-ˌklē-
: a book of wisdom literature in canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture see bible

More from Merriam-Webster on Ecclesiastes

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Ecclesiastes

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