anti-sacerdotal
|an-ti-sa-cer-do-tal|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.səˈsɝ.də.təl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.səˈsɜː.də.təl/
against priestly authority
Etymology
'anti-sacerdotal' originates from Modern English; it is formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') and 'sacerdotal' (from Latin 'sacerdotālis', from 'sacerdos' meaning 'priest').
'sacerdotal' comes from Latin 'sacerdotālis' (from 'sacerdōs' meaning 'priest'), passed into Ecclesiastical/Medieval Latin and then into English as 'sacerdotal'; the prefix 'anti-' (Greek) was attached in Modern English to form 'anti-sacerdotal'.
Initially elements meant 'against' (anti-) and 'of or relating to priests' (sacerdotal); combined in English the compound came to mean 'opposed to priestly authority or influence'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the belief, attitude, or movement opposing sacerdotal authority or the privileged position of priests (i.e., anti-sacerdotalism as a doctrine or stance).
Anti-sacerdotalism grew among reformers who wanted lay control over certain church functions.
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Adjective 1
opposed to sacerdotalism or to the influence, authority, and privileges of priests; anti-clerical in relation to priestly power.
She took an anti-sacerdotal position, criticizing the church's exclusive control over rites and doctrine.
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Adverb 1
in a manner that opposes or is critical of sacerdotal authority or priestly privilege.
He spoke anti-sacerdotally about the concentration of power in the clergy.
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Last updated: 2025/11/20 16:47