1.
[syn: ecclesiastical, ecclesiastic]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Ecclesiastical \Ec*cle`si*as"tic*al\, a. [See Ecclesiastical,
a.]
Of or pertaining to the church; relating to the organization
or government of the church; not secular; as, ecclesiastical
affairs or history; ecclesiastical courts.
[1913 Webster]
Every circumstance of ecclesiastical order and
discipline was an abomination. --Cowper.
[1913 Webster]
Ecclesiastical commissioners for England, a permanent
commission established by Parliament in 1836, to consider
and report upon the affairs of the Established Church.
Ecclesiastical courts, courts for maintaining the
discipline of the Established Church; -- called also
Christian courts. [Eng.]
Ecclesiastical law, a combination of civil and canon law as
administered in ecclesiastical courts. [Eng.]
Ecclesiastical modes (Mus.), the church modes, or the
scales anciently used.
Ecclesiastical States, the territory formerly subject to
the Pope of Rome as its temporal ruler; -- called also
States of the Church.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
ecclesiastical
adj 1: of or associated with a church (especially a Christian
Church); "ecclesiastic history" [syn: ecclesiastical,
ecclesiastic]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
38 Moby Thesaurus words for "ecclesiastical":
abbatial, abbatical, apostolic, archiepiscopal, canonical,
capitular, capitulary, cathedral-like, cathedralesque, church,
churchish, churchlike, churchly, clerical, ecclesiastic, episcopal,
episcopalian, evangelistic, ministerial, pantheonic, papal,
pastoral, patriarchal, pontifical, prelatial, prelatic,
priest-ridden, priestish, priestly, rabbinic, sacerdotal,
spiritual, synagogal, synagogical, tabernacular, templelike,
theological, ultramontane
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
ECCLESIASTICAL. Belonging to, or set apart for the church; as, distinguished
from civil or secular. Vide Church.