ecclesiastical
adjective
ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal
i-ˌklē-zē-ˈa-sti-kəl 
e-ˌklē-
1
: of or relating to a church especially as an established institution
2
: suitable for use in a church
Examples of ecclesiastical in a Sentence
ecclesiastical laws that have been in existence for centuries
Recent Examples on the Web
It is revered as the ecclesiastical capital of the Orthodox world, but it is crammed into a space no bigger than a midsize hotel, and surrounded by a Muslim society that has treated it with undisguised hostility.
—
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Because the actual date of the spring equinox can differ by a day or two, the Catholic Church created a fixed date of March 21 to define it, known as the ecclesiastical equinox.
—Carlie Procell, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
An untitled 2006 work by Scottish artist Richard Wright is a secular re-imagining of an ecclesiastical rose window.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The apartment’s multiple (real) white arches produce an almost monastic atmosphere in photographs, but the inspiration was less ecclesiastical than elemental.
—Lucy Alexander, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2023
But here murder is motivated not by Satan, but by a loophole in ecclesiastical doctrine, which states that a murderer might attain forgiveness and die in God’s grace, where a suicide cannot, and must be damned.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024
Like in a baroque painting, each was frozen in an expression of ecclesiastical grief, faces contorted, while the receiver to the red line lay in Hendrickson’s limp, upturned palm.
—Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 5 Feb. 2024
American ecclesiastical stained glass is abundant and gorgeous, but religious painting is rare.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 20 Jan. 2024
Other highlights include a private garage just big enough to park a Model 3 Tesla, a 36-foot-deep backyard, and, outside the top-floor primary bedroom’s sunken sitting area, a private roof terrace with an ecclesiastical, up-close view of the Gothic Revival Queen of All Saints cathedral.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2023
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Because the actual date of the spring equinox can differ by a day or two, the Catholic Church created a fixed date of March 21 to define it, known as the ecclesiastical equinox.
—Carlie Procell, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
An untitled 2006 work by Scottish artist Richard Wright is a secular re-imagining of an ecclesiastical rose window.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The apartment’s multiple (real) white arches produce an almost monastic atmosphere in photographs, but the inspiration was less ecclesiastical than elemental.
—Lucy Alexander, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2023
But here murder is motivated not by Satan, but by a loophole in ecclesiastical doctrine, which states that a murderer might attain forgiveness and die in God’s grace, where a suicide cannot, and must be damned.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024
Like in a baroque painting, each was frozen in an expression of ecclesiastical grief, faces contorted, while the receiver to the red line lay in Hendrickson’s limp, upturned palm.
—Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 5 Feb. 2024
American ecclesiastical stained glass is abundant and gorgeous, but religious painting is rare.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 20 Jan. 2024
Other highlights include a private garage just big enough to park a Model 3 Tesla, a 36-foot-deep backyard, and, outside the top-floor primary bedroom’s sunken sitting area, a private roof terrace with an ecclesiastical, up-close view of the Gothic Revival Queen of All Saints cathedral.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ecclesiastical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ecclesiastical
Cite this Entry
“Ecclesiastical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecclesiastical. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ecclesiastical
adjective
ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal
ik-ˌlē-zē-ˈas-ti-kəl
e-ˌklē-
variants
or ecclesiastic
-tik
: of or relating to a church
ecclesiastical history
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