ecumenical

IPA/ˌekjuːˈmenɪkl/
KK[ˌɛkjumˈɛnɪkəl]IPA/ˌekjuːˈmenɪkl/

ecumenical — adjective

  • ecumenicalpositive
  • more ecumenicalcomparative
  • most ecumenicalsuperlative

1. relating to efforts by different Christian groups to work together, understand e

1.形容詞C1
釋義

relating to efforts by different Christian groups to work together, understand each other, and become more united across their traditional divides.

例句

Local churches held an ecumenical service during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

ecumenical + service/noun: ecumenical event type

Bishop Meera has spent twenty years working on ecumenical dialogue between Protestant and Catholic communities.

ecumenical + dialogue: collaborative discussion between denominations

同義詞
  • interdenominational

    emphasises cooperation across specific denominations rather than the ideal of full unity

  • nonsectarian

    broader — avoids any sectarian label, not necessarily aimed at unity

反義詞
  • sectarian

    focused on a single denomination rather than seeking broad Christian unity

文法句型

ecumenical + noun

用法筆記

Not comparable — ecumenical describes a category or quality, not a degree. Frequently appears before nouns such as service, council, dialogue, movement, and relations.

常見錯誤

❌The church held a ecumenical meeting.
✅The church held an ecumenical meeting.
💡'ecumenical' begins with a vowel sound, so it takes 'an', not 'a'.

2. covering or affecting the whole world or people everywhere, rather than being li

2.形容詞C2
釋義

covering or affecting the whole world or people everywhere, rather than being limited to one region or group.

例句

The pandemic revealed ecumenical challenges that no single country could solve by itself.

ecumenical + challenges: broad, worldwide issues

An ecumenical approach to climate change must involve governments and scientists on every continent.

同義詞
  • universal

    more common and less formal; focuses on applicability to all rather than breadth of coverage

  • worldwide

    more concrete and neutral; lacks the intellectual or unifying nuance of ecumenical

  • global

    the everyday equivalent; ecumenical in this sense is far more formal

反義詞
  • parochial

    narrow in outlook, limited to a small area or concern

  • provincial

    limited or narrow in perspective, especially compared to a global view

文法句型

ecumenical + noun

用法筆記

This sense is considerably rarer than the Christian-unity sense. It carries a formal, sometimes philosophical tone. Not comparable. In modern writing it is used most often in academic or intellectual contexts to describe a perspective that aims to be global rather than provincial.