n. pl. ec·cle·si·ae (-zhē-ē′, -zē-ē′) 1. The political assembly of citizens of an ancient Greek state. 2. a. A church or congregation. b. The collective body of Christian believers regarded as constituting a universal church. [Latin ecclēsia, from Greek ekklēsiā, from ekkalein, to summon forth : ek-, out; see ECTO- + kalein, klē-, to call; see kelə-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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