as in ecclesiastic
of or relating to a church
ecclesiastical laws that have been in existence for centuries
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Recent Examples of ecclesiastical
So, according to the current ecclesiastical rules, Easter is to be celebrated on April 5.
—
Joe Rao, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Hailing from Marinduque Island is the Moriones Festival, one of the oldest and most revered ecclesiastical festivities in the Philippines.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
Determining the exact date of the holiday has a long history and is complicated by the difference between the precise astronomical calendar and the ecclesiastical calendar, which was produced centuries ago.
—Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026
The overall result is a series of spaces that explore themes rooted in ecclesiastical pageantry, and the power that’s conveyed through the clothing and visual arts of a monarch or empire.
—Laurie Brookins, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ecclesiastical
Joe Rao, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Hailing from Marinduque Island is the Moriones Festival, one of the oldest and most revered ecclesiastical festivities in the Philippines.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
Determining the exact date of the holiday has a long history and is complicated by the difference between the precise astronomical calendar and the ecclesiastical calendar, which was produced centuries ago.
—Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026
The overall result is a series of spaces that explore themes rooted in ecclesiastical pageantry, and the power that’s conveyed through the clothing and visual arts of a monarch or empire.
—Laurie Brookins, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ecclesiastical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ecclesiastical
Adjective
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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,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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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,
Literary Hub,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Hours earlier, the pontiff had condemned capital punishment aboard the papal plane, when asked about executions carried out by the Iranian government.—
Willem Marx,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
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Pope Leo wears more traditional papal clothing than Francis and is less critical than his predecessor of the Latin Mass — a major issue for some Catholic conservatives.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ecclesiastical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ecclesiastical. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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