‖n.; pl. Ecclesiæ [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;. ] 1. (Gr. Antiq.) The public legislative assembly of the Athenians. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Eccl.) A church, either as a body or as a building. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Ecclesiastical. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. ecclesiarcha, fr. Gr. &unr_; church + &unr_; to rule: cf. F. ecclésiarque. ] An official of the Eastern Church, resembling a sacrist in the Western Church. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An ecclesiastic. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The Apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_; a preacher. See Ecclesiastic, a. ] One of the canonical books of the Old Testament. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ecclesiasticus, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; an assembly of citizens called out by the crier; also, the church, fr. &unr_; called out, fr. &unr_; to call out; 'ek out + &unr_; to call. See Ex-, and Hale, v. t., Haul. ] Of or pertaining to the church. See Ecclesiastical. “Ecclesiastic government.” Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

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 ]

adv. In an ecclesiastical manner; according ecclesiastical rules. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Strong attachment to ecclesiastical usages, forms, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]