Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ecclesiastical

/əˈkliː.ziˌæ.stɪ.kəl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.49 in modern English

Syllables: ec-cle-si-as-ti-cal
IPA: /əˈkliː.ziˌæ.stɪ.kəl/

20

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

6

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of or pertaining to the church.

Example Sentences

"ecclesiastical architecture"
"Sodomy had always been an ecclesiastical offense. The Statute of 1533 (25 Henry VIII, c. 6) made it a felony; and Pollock and Maitland consider that this "affords an almost sufficient proof that the temporal courts had not punished it, and that no one had been put to death for it, for a very long time past.""

Etymology

From Middle English ecclesiasticall, ecclesiasticalle, from Latin ecclēsiasticus + -al. By surface analysis, ecclesiastic + -al or ecclesiast + -ical.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *kelh₁-, ecclesiasticall,ecclesiasticalle, ecclēsiasticus
Suffix: ecclesiast

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /əˈkliː.ziˌæ.stɪ.kəl/

Inflected Forms

more ecclesiastical (comparative) most ecclesiastical (superlative) ecclesiasticall (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

unecclesiastical

Phrases

Ecclesiastical Latin ecclesiastical law Ecclesiastical State

Frequently Paired Words

Ecclesiastes clerical sanctified

Synonyms

churchical churchlike churchly ecclesial ecclesiastic churchish churchy ecclesiastical

Antonyms

antiecclesiastical nonecclesiastical nonchurchly nonecclesiastic unchurchlike unchurchly unecclesiastical

Questions

How do you pronounce ecclesiastical?: The recorded pronunciation is /əˈkliː.ziˌæ.stɪ.kəl/.
What does ecclesiastical mean?: Of or pertaining to the church.
Where does ecclesiastical come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce ecclesiastical

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ecclesiastical”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/əˈkliː.ziˌæ.stɪ.kəl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “ecclesiastical”.
Repeat and practice — Say “ecclesiastical” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.