conciliarist
|con-ci-li-ar-ist|
/kənˈsɪliərɪst/
supporter of councils' authority
Etymology
'conciliarist' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'concilium' (meaning 'council'), formed in English from the adjective 'conciliar' + the agent suffix '-ist'.
'concilium' in Latin gave rise to Medieval Latin 'conciliaris' (meaning 'of a council'), which passed into English as 'conciliar' and later formed the agent noun 'conciliarist' (a person who supports conciliar principles).
Initially related to being 'of or pertaining to a council' (from Latin), it later came to denote specifically 'a supporter of conciliarism' in ecclesiastical/political contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a supporter or advocate of conciliarism — the view that a general council (of the Church) has authority over the pope or that supreme ecclesiastical authority resides in councils.
In the 15th century, many conciliarists argued that a council could depose a pope.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/13 12:45