ecclesiastical
/ɪˌkliːzɪˈastɪk(ə)l
/adjective
Relating to the Christian Church or its clergy: the ecclesiastical hierarchy...
- If there is no clergy with binding ecclesiastical authority, then each Sikh has to cultivate and heed his own conscience.
- The widespread acceptance of such doctrines bestowed enormous authority on the ecclesiastical hierarchy.
- The preface to the reader made it abundantly clear that it was aimed not at erudite ecclesiastical theologians but at ordinary people.
Synonyms
priestly, ministerial, clerical, ecclesiastic, prelatic, canonical, parsonical, pastoral;
church, churchly, religious, spiritual, non-secular, non-temporal, holy, divine
informal churchy
rare sacerdotal
Derivatives
ecclesiastically
- In Augustine's view, Christians recognized themselves as Christians on the basis of an ecclesiastically validated translation which was familiar and ingrained in the memory of the worshippers.
- I acknowledge that my modest proposal is a compromise, both theologically and ecclesiastically.
- Assuming that it doesn't require killing embryos, or some other means that is morally problematic to the church in itself, there wouldn't seem to be any existing ecclesiastically doctrinal reason to do so.