ecclesiology

noun

ec·cle·si·ol·o·gy i-ˌklē-zē-ˈä-lə-jē

e-ˌklē-

plural ecclesiologies

1

: the study of church architecture and adornment

2

: theological doctrine relating to the church

ecclesiological

i-ˌklē-zē-ə-ˈlä-ji-kəl

e-ˌklē-

adjective

ecclesiologist

i-ˌklē-zē-ˈä-lə-jist

e-ˌklē-

noun

Examples of ecclesiology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Questions of how to address issues at a national level in such a decentralized organization are genuinely difficult to answer, and the report grapples with those difficulties without compromising on basic questions of Baptist ecclesiology. —

The Editors, National Review, 25 May 2022

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin ecclēsia "assembly of Christian believers, Christian Church" + -o- + -logy — more at ecclesial

First Known Use

circa 1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of ecclesiology was circa 1837

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ecclesiology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecclesiology. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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