as in ecclesiastical
of or relating to a church
a council to make final determinations on ecclesiastic matters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of ecclesiastic
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
As Sheldon Wolin, author of Politics and Vision, and many others have pointed out, the Middle Ages and Renaissance saw a powerful flow of ideas from ecclesiastic to secular political philosophy.
—Jonathan Schlefer, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2015
America has no aristocracy or ecclesiastic master class.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 12 Feb. 2022
The Vatican defended the extension by saying the agreement was purely ecclesiastic and pastoral in nature, and not political.
—Nicole Winfield, Star Tribune, 22 Oct. 2020
The motif appeared in ecclesiastic architecture from the 13th to the 15th centuries.
—Jasper Bastian, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Sep. 2020
The church is an example of early ecclesiastic architecture, is the second oldest synagogue remaining in Cincinnati and is the oldest still church still used for religious purposes.
—Max Londberg, Cincinnati.com, 5 Aug. 2019
Wuerl’s denial corresponds with the public record, which provides ample evidence that McCarrick lived a life completely devoid of ecclesiastic restriction after the sanctions were said to have been imposed in 2009 or 2010.
—Nicole Winfield, The Seattle Times, 28 Aug. 2018
Victor Pérez-Díaz, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2013
Of all the precious goods accumulated by the rulers and ecclesiastics of late medieval Ethiopia, the most charged of all were books.
—Peter Brown, The New York Review of Books, 24 Sep. 2020
This shop for ecclesiastics has an exquisite selection of high-quality pieces.
—Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2019
Rather, Ryrie, a prize-winning historian as well as an ecclesiastic, has broadened his scope to take in nearly 750 years of doubt and disbelief in the professedly Christian West.
—Graham Hillard, National Review, 5 Dec. 2019
The old cloister, as the walled domain of the Chapter of Canons was called, housed unusual and not invariably pious persons, as well as the worldly ecclesiastics themselves.
—Bruce Dale, National Geographic, 17 Apr. 2019
This was the Fairy Tree L’Arbre des Dames or Le Beau Mai tree, whereupon extra-ecclesiastic celebrations were staged.
—C.d. Wright, Harper's magazine, 10 Jan. 2019
There are nearly 70 community leaders — from entrepreneurs to ecclesiastics (and a rabbi thrown in for good measure) — who have joined to address the problems that have held Louisville back for decades.
—Joseph Gerth, The Courier-Journal, 2 Feb. 2018
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
As Sheldon Wolin, author of Politics and Vision, and many others have pointed out, the Middle Ages and Renaissance saw a powerful flow of ideas from ecclesiastic to secular political philosophy.
—Jonathan Schlefer, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2015
America has no aristocracy or ecclesiastic master class.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 12 Feb. 2022
The Vatican defended the extension by saying the agreement was purely ecclesiastic and pastoral in nature, and not political.
—Nicole Winfield, Star Tribune, 22 Oct. 2020
The motif appeared in ecclesiastic architecture from the 13th to the 15th centuries.
—Jasper Bastian, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Sep. 2020
The church is an example of early ecclesiastic architecture, is the second oldest synagogue remaining in Cincinnati and is the oldest still church still used for religious purposes.
—Max Londberg, Cincinnati.com, 5 Aug. 2019
Wuerl’s denial corresponds with the public record, which provides ample evidence that McCarrick lived a life completely devoid of ecclesiastic restriction after the sanctions were said to have been imposed in 2009 or 2010.
—Nicole Winfield, The Seattle Times, 28 Aug. 2018
Noun
The end result was a new brand of ecclesiastics and lay Catholics who felt comfortable detaching themselves from Franco’s regime, or even fighting it head-on in a variety of forums, including student movements, intellectual circles, unions, political parties, and the media.
—Victor Pérez-Díaz, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2013
Of all the precious goods accumulated by the rulers and ecclesiastics of late medieval Ethiopia, the most charged of all were books.
—Peter Brown, The New York Review of Books, 24 Sep. 2020
This shop for ecclesiastics has an exquisite selection of high-quality pieces.
—Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2019
Rather, Ryrie, a prize-winning historian as well as an ecclesiastic, has broadened his scope to take in nearly 750 years of doubt and disbelief in the professedly Christian West.
—Graham Hillard, National Review, 5 Dec. 2019
The old cloister, as the walled domain of the Chapter of Canons was called, housed unusual and not invariably pious persons, as well as the worldly ecclesiastics themselves.
—Bruce Dale, National Geographic, 17 Apr. 2019
This was the Fairy Tree L’Arbre des Dames or Le Beau Mai tree, whereupon extra-ecclesiastic celebrations were staged.
—C.d. Wright, Harper's magazine, 10 Jan. 2019
There are nearly 70 community leaders — from entrepreneurs to ecclesiastics (and a rabbi thrown in for good measure) — who have joined to address the problems that have held Louisville back for decades.
—Joseph Gerth, The Courier-Journal, 2 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ecclesiastic
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
Noun
-
Catholic priests fiercely denounced Evangelina's efforts.—
Laura Gómez,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Then Vincent disappears, and Jérémie finds himself at the center of a police investigation and being eyed suspiciously by the locals, including a dour, snooping priest (Jacques Develay); a stolid, schlubby ex-farmer named Walter (David Ayala); and Vincent’s wife, Annie (Tatiana Spivakova).—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
With Ramadan now a season of cultural significance beyond religious observance, its musical phenomenon continues to evolve, marking a unique space where nostalgia, innovation and commercial success intersect.—
Hala Mustafa,
Billboard,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Despite hailing from a historically apolitical and publicity-avoidant religious community, the Amish farmer has turned into a kind of folk hero among MAGA Republicans — and a symbol of the political right’s growing thirst for raw milk.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
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
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
Noun
-
Some clutched rosaries, others took selfies or touched the protective glass in front of the seemingly sleeping young man, who died of leukemia at 15 in 2006 and is generating a devotion that astonishes even Assisi’s bishop.—
Time,
Time,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Last month, days before his hospitalization, Pope Francis penned a letter to U.S. bishops that criticized the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ecclesiastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ecclesiastic. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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