ecclesiastic 1 of 2

adjective

i-ˌklē-zē-ˈa-stik How to pronounce ecclesiastic (audio)
Definition of ecclesiasticnext
as in ecclesiastical
of or relating to a church a council to make final determinations on ecclesiastic matters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ecclesiastic

2 of 2

noun

as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church as the leading ecclesiastic for his church in the state, the bishop must be beyond reproach in everything he does

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ecclesiastic
Adjective
Forget Fleabag, Conclave, Nobody Wants This, or Ramy, there’s a new ecclesiastic bombshell on the block. — Riann Phillip, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025 But Thondup is also sharply critical of the Tibetan political and ecclesiastic elite for their gross mismanagement of their relations with China. — Anne F. Thurston, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ecclesiastic
  1. ecclesiastical
  2. priest
  3. religious
  4. preacher
  5. clergyman
  6. bishop
Adjective
  • As Charles Mercier writes in his book, Christianity in Western and Northern Europe, Monaco has an ecclesiastical commitment to the Roman Catholic Church that is unique on the continent.
    — Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The building's striking concrete facade and massive bell banner set it apart from traditional ecclesiastical designs.
    — Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of ecclesiastical
Noun
  • The Vatican said the photo was taken Sunday when the pope celebrated Mass with other priests in the chapel.
    — Joshua McElwee, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Meanwhile, cries for help emerged on social media for a group of priests trapped inside a church in the Carrefour-Feuilles neighborhood, which endured much of the attack by the Viv Ansanm gang coalition that began late Tuesday.
    — Compiled by Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of priest
Adjective
  • And in the middle is a holiday associated with merry drinking and a centuries-old religious figure: St. Patrick's Day.
    — Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Women belonging to ethnic and religious minorities experienced distinct harms that were compounded by pre-existing discrimination and violence against them - as women and as minorities.
    — Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of religious
Noun
  • To the congregation, Rose had been much more than a charismatic preacher.
    — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Blige also connected jazz (scat singing, riffing on a phrase, improvising wordless lines), gospel (testifying akin to a preacher delivering a sermon) and hip hop traditions.
    — Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of preacher
Noun
  • Kirchner had, a year earlier, backed sanctions for clergymen who publicly opposed the government’s human rights policies, including his decision to annul laws pardoning dictatorship-era atrocities.
    — Federico Perelmuter, The Dial, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The emails, sent from Saints accounts, don’t specify which clergymen were removed from the list or why.
    — Brett Martel, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Definition of clergyman
Noun
  • Unlike a synod of bishops, this will be a unique gathering of bishops, clergy, monks, friars, nuns and lay men and women.
    — Christopher Lamb, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
  • The Vatican office for the synod, or gathering of bishops, released a timetable through 2028 to implement the reforms and said Francis had approved the calendar last week.
    — Colleen Barry, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of bishop

Browse Nearby Words

ecclesial
ecclesiastic
ecclesiastical
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ecclesiastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ecclesiastic. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on ecclesiastic

Nglish: Translation of ecclesiastic for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

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

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All