antiecclesiastic
|an-ti-ec-cle-si-as-tic|
/ˌæn.ti.ɪˌkɛk.lɪˈziː.əs.tɪk/
against the church / clergy
Etymology
'antiecclesiastic' originates from English, formed by combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', where 'anti-' meant 'against') and 'ecclesiastic' (ultimately from Late Latin 'ecclesiasticus', from Greek 'ekklesiastikos', relating to an 'assembly' or 'church').
'ecclesiastic' came into English via Late Latin 'ecclesiasticus' from Greek 'ekklesiastikos' (from 'ekklesia' meaning 'assembly, church'); the English compound 'anti-' + 'ecclesiastic' produced 'antiecclesiastic' to denote opposition to ecclesiastical authority.
The element 'ecclesiastic' originally meant 'of or relating to the church/assembly,' while the compound 'antiecclesiastic' came to mean 'against or hostile to the church or its clergy.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who is antiecclesiastic; someone opposed to the clergy or to the institutional power of the church.
Many antiecclesiastics in the period campaigned for separation of church and state.
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Adjective 1
opposed to, hostile toward, or critical of the clergy or of ecclesiastical (church) institutions and their influence.
Her writings were openly antiecclesiastic, arguing that clerical power should be reduced.
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Last updated: 2025/08/31 05:54