Word of the Day

Monday, December 15, 2008

ecclesiastical

\i-klee-zee-AS-ti-kuhl\ , adjective;

of or having to do with the church or clergy

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Quotes:

More than $100 million worth of gorgeous sparkling royal gems, ecclesiastical items and exquisite costumes made for the Romanov czars, who ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917, have just gone on view under bulletproof glass at the Corcoran Gallery.

-- Jo Ann Lewis, The Washington Post, 1/31/1997

"The architecture profession as a whole has a desire to develop and evolve and that gets reflected in church architecture." This innovative approach to ecclesiastical design marries new architecture with the old style in a cost-effective way, he said.

-- Mike Steere, CNN.com, 11/13/2008

Origin:

by 1538 from ecclesiastic, which comes from Late Latin ecclesiasticus, from Greek ekklesiastikos "of the (ancient Athenian) assembly," later, "of the church," from ekklesiastes "speaker in an assembly or church, preacher," from ekkalein "to call out"