ecclesiastic

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: ec=cle=si=as=tic

CIDE DICTIONARY

ecclesiastic, a. [L. ecclesiasticus, Gr. , fr. an assembly of citizens called out by the crier; also, the church, fr. called out, fr. to call out; 'ek out + to call. See Ex-, and Hale, v. t., Haul.].

 Of or pertaining to the church. See Ecclesiastical.  Swift.  [1913 Webster]

ecclesiastic, n. 

 A person in holy orders, or consecrated to the service of the church and the ministry of religion; a clergyman; a priest.  [1913 Webster]
"From a humble ecclesiastic, he was subsequently preferred to the highest dignities of the church."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

ecclesiastic, n. & adj.
--n. a priest or clergyman.
--adj. = ECCLESIASTICAL.

Derivative

ecclesiasticism n.

Etymology

F eccl{eacute}siastique or LL ecclesiasticus f. Gk ekklesiastikos f. ekklesia assembly, church: see ECCLESIAL

THESAURUS

ecclesiastic

DD, Doctor of Divinity, Holy Joe, abbe, chaplain, churchman, clergyman, cleric, clerical, clerk, curate, cure, divine, man of God, military chaplain, minister, padre, parson, pastor, preacher, rector, reverend, servant of God, shepherd, sky pilot, supply clergy, supply minister, the Reverend, the very Reverend, tonsured cleric

ROGET THESAURUS

ecclesiastic

Clergy

N clergy, clericals, ministry, priesthood, presbytery, the cloth, the desk, clergyman, divine, ecclesiastic, churchman, priest, presbyter, hierophant, pastor, shepherd, minister, father, father in Christ, padre, abbe, cure, patriarch, reverend, black coat, confessor, dignitaries of the church, ecclesiarch, hierarch, ebdomarius, eminence, reverence, elder, primate, metropolitan, archbishop, bishop, prelate, diocesan, suffragan, dean, subdean, archdeacon, prebendary, canon, rural dean, rector, parson, vicar, perpetual curate, residentiary, beneficiary, incumbent, chaplain, curate, deacon, deaconess, preacher, reader, lecturer, capitular, missionary, propagandist, Jesuit, revivalist, field preacher, churchwarden, sidesman, clerk, precentor, choir, almoner, suisse, verger, beadle, sexton, sacristan, acolyth, acolothyst, acolyte, altar boy, chorister, Pope, Papa, pontiff, high priest, cardinal, ancient flamen, flamen, confessor, penitentiary, spiritual director, cenobite, conventual, abbot, prior, monk, friar, lay brother, beadsman, mendicant, pilgrim, palmer, canon regular, canon secular, Franciscan, Friars minor, Minorites, Observant, Capuchin, Dominican, Carmelite, Augustinian, Gilbertine, Austin Friars, Black Friars, White Friars, Gray Friars, Crossed Friars, Crutched Friars, Bonhomme, Carthusian, Benedictine, Cistercian, Trappist, Cluniac, Premonstatensian, Maturine, Templar, Hospitaler, Bernardine, Lorettine, pillarist, stylite, abbess, prioress, canoness, religieuse, nun, novice, postulant, prophet, priest, high priest, Levite, Rabbi, Rabbin, Rebbe, scribe, mullah, muezzin, ayatollah, ulema, imaum, imam, sheik, sufi, kahin, kassis, mufti, hadji, dervish, fakir, faquir, brahmin, guru, kaziaskier, poonghie, sanyasi, druid, bonze, santon, abdal, Lama, talapoin, caloyer, the Reverend, the very Reverend, the Right Reverend, ordained, in orders, called to the ministry.