unecclesiastic

A priest wears an unecclesiastical hat on his day off.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Not belonging to or connected with the church or clergy: "unecclesiastic" describes something that is not ecclesiastical in nature — that is, not related to the Christian church, its organization, or its ministers.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The building had an unecclesiastic design, with no crosses or religious symbols. (The building's architecture was not typical of a church.)
  • His views on morality were entirely unecclesiastic, based on philosophy rather than scripture. (His moral ideas were not derived from church teachings.)

Advanced Usage

• "unecclesiastic authority": power or influence that does not come from the church.

  • The king's rule was unecclesiastic, relying on military might rather than divine right. (The king's authority was secular, not religious.)

• "unecclesiastic matters": affairs or topics that are not related to church business.

  • The council discussed unecclesiastic matters such as tax collection and road maintenance. (The council dealt with secular issues.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ecclesiastic (adj): relating to the Christian Church or clergy.

  • The ecclesiastic robe was worn by the bishop during the ceremony. (The garment was church-related.)

• Ecclesiastical (adj): a more common variant of "ecclesiastic," meaning the same.

  • She studied ecclesiastical history at the university. (She learned about the history of the church.)

• Unecclesiastical (adj): a less common synonym of "unecclesiastic."

  • The festival was entirely unecclesiastical, with no religious rituals. (The festival was secular.)

Synonyms

• Secular: not connected with religious or spiritual matters.

  • The school provides secular education, separate from church teachings. (Education without religious influence.)

• Lay: not belonging to the clergy; non-clerical.

  • He is a lay member of the church, not a priest. (A member who is not a minister.)

• Temporal: relating to worldly as opposed to spiritual affairs.

  • The king focused on temporal power, not spiritual authority. (Worldly, not religious.)

Antonyms

• Ecclesiastic: relating to the church.
• Clerical: relating to the clergy.
• Religious: relating to faith or worship.

Related Idioms