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
Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Waugh was based for many years in a grand house in nearby Combe Florey and adapted this local ecclesiastic landmark for fictional purposes.
—Literary Hub, 12 Feb. 2026
Think of it like an ecclesiastic LinkedIn.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2025
Forbidden passion fueled the plot of The Thorn Birds in which the late Richard Chamberlain, played the priest Ralph de Bricassart, a heartthrob in ecclesiastic wear.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
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
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
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
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
Adjective
Back then, Kennedy was constantly fending off accusations from Protestant ecclesiastic types who were wary that his nomination meant the pontiff, John XXIII, was already packing his bags for a move into the White House.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Waugh was based for many years in a grand house in nearby Combe Florey and adapted this local ecclesiastic landmark for fictional purposes.
—Literary Hub, 12 Feb. 2026
Think of it like an ecclesiastic LinkedIn.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2025
Forbidden passion fueled the plot of The Thorn Birds in which the late Richard Chamberlain, played the priest Ralph de Bricassart, a heartthrob in ecclesiastic wear.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
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
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
Noun
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ecclesiastic
Adjective
-
Walsh’s ruling gave the OCA, which is the largest of three Russian Orthodox ecclesiastical bodies in the United States, authority to govern the parish and the judge ordered the parish’s former leaders to vacate the property by June 2025.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
These final days of Lent, constituting the most solemn season of the ecclesiastical year, will commemorate the passion and death of Christ.—
From staff reports,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
She was pulled into a scheme involving a man who posed as a priest, another posing as an immigration judge, and another posing as Oscar Carrillo, an attorney licensed in Texas who practices tax law.—
Naisha Roy,
ProPublica,
29 Apr. 2026
-
During the investigation, police found the vehicle’s license plate using cameras in the area, and then used that information, along with details provided by the teen, to identify the then-priest as the suspect.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Today, Lowery is an atheist, having left the Catholic Church a long time ago, but his religious upbringing still has a hold on him.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Skewering everything from leftist factional infighting to religious zealotry, the movie follows Brian (Graham Chapman), born in the same stable as Jesus and initially mistaken for him.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dollison was a regular contributor to the Church of Christ publication The Living Message, which credited him as being a major inspiration for many influential Arkansas Church of Christ preachers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The performances had the energy and verve of a Pentecostal revival, with James playing the role of charismatic preacher.—
Daniel Kohn,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
McColumn is a retired Brigadier General and clergyman from Warner Robins, Georgia.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The clergyman warns that failure to do so would jeopardize the future of Iran as well as the stability of the entire Middle East, unleashing an even more volatile and repressive regime in the war’s wake.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Francis also invited the female Anglican bishop, Jo Bailey Wells, into a private meeting of his cardinal advisers in 2024 to discuss the role of women in the Catholic Church.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Cecil Newton, a Pentecostal bishop, was present for the entire hearing but did not testify.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ecclesiastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ecclesiastic. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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