ecclesiastico

ecclesiastical, church

adjective ehk-kleh-ZYAH-stee-koh Rare

Origin: From Latin ecclesiasticus, from Greek ekklēsiastikos, from ekklēsia (assembly, church).

Usage Note

Ecclesiastico describes anything pertaining to the Church or its institutions: diritto ecclesiastico (ecclesiastical law), beni ecclesiastici (church property). As a noun (un ecclesiastico) it means a clergyman. Do not confuse with religioso (religious in a general sense) — ecclesiastico is specifically institutional and organisational.

Examples

"Il tribunale ecclesiastico ha esaminato il caso."

Natural Translation

The ecclesiastical court examined the case.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Buongiorno, Ciao or Salve? Italian Greetings Made Easy

When in doubt, say salve and mirror the reply. Here's how to pick between buongiorno, buonasera, ciao and salve so your Italian greetings never sound rude.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

C'è vs Ci Sono: There Is/Are in Italian

C'è for one thing, ci sono for many — that's the rule. Master Italian's there is/there are with c'era, ci sarà, è vs c'è, and non c'è nessuno.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian False Friends: 20 Words That Trick You

Italian false friends like preservativo, parenti, and caldo mean the opposite of what English speakers expect. Here are 20 ranked by how badly they bite.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Present Tense: -are, -ere, -ire Verbs

Conjugate Italian present-tense verbs fast: one color-coded chart for -are, -ere, and -ire endings, plus the sneaky -isc- group most guides bury.

June 5, 2026 6 min read