ecclesiastical

adjective

ec·​cle·​si·​as·​ti·​cal i-ˌklē-zē-ˈa-sti-kəl How to pronounce ecclesiastical (audio)
e-ˌklē-
Synonyms of ecclesiastical
1
: of or relating to a church especially as an established institution
2
: suitable for use in a church
ecclesiastically
i-ˌklē-zē-ˈa-sti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce ecclesiastical (audio)
e-ˌklē-
adverb

Synonyms of ecclesiastical

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Examples of ecclesiastical in a Sentence

ecclesiastical laws that have been in existence for centuries
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In addition, the new king will receive a solemn ecclesiastical blessing in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 The government may not decide that Church teaching is insufficiently religious, insufficiently consistent with Catholic doctrine, or insufficiently compelling to justify an ecclesiastical policy. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for ecclesiastical

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ecclesiasticall, from Late Latin ecclēsiasticus "of the Christian Church" + Middle English -all -al entry 1 — more at ecclesiastic entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ecclesiastical was in the 15th century

Rhymes for ecclesiastical

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Browse Nearby Words

ecclesiastic
ecclesiastical
ecclesiastical calendar
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Cite this Entry

“Ecclesiastical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecclesiastical. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ecclesiastical

adjective
ec·​cle·​si·​as·​ti·​cal ik-ˌlē-zē-ˈas-ti-kəl How to pronounce ecclesiastical (audio)
e-ˌklē-
variants or ecclesiastic
-tik
: of or relating to a church
ecclesiastical history
ecclesiastically
-ti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce ecclesiastical (audio)
adverb
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