[syn: ecclesiastical, ecclesiastic]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Ecclesiastic \Ec*cle`si*as"tic\ (?; 277), 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.
"Ecclesiastic government." --Swift.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Ecclesiastic \Ec*cle`si*as"tic\, 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.
--Prescott.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
ecclesiastic
adj 1: of or associated with a church (especially a Christian
Church); "ecclesiastic history" [syn: ecclesiastical,
ecclesiastic]
n 1: a clergyman or other person in religious orders [syn:
cleric, churchman, divine, ecclesiastic]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
30 Moby Thesaurus words for "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
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
ECCLESIASTIC. A clergyman; one destined to the divine ministry, as, a
bishop, a priest, a deacon. Dom. Lois Civ. liv. prel. t. 2, s. 2, n. 14.