A person ordained as a member of the clergy; a priest, minister, or other church official.
From Late Latin 'ecclesiasticus' meaning 'of the church', derived from Greek 'ekklesia'. The term became standard for designating ordained church officials from medieval times onward.
The word 'ecclesiastic' comes straight from the word for the ancient Greek assembly—so calling a priest an 'ecclesiastic' literally refers back to ancient democratic gatherings being transformed into church hierarchies!
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