Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of churchly That theme, explored with light wit and deep humanity, makes this unabashedly churchly novel strikingly relevant to our conflicted political era. Washington Post, 3 May 2022 The singer and rapper’s weary tales arrive with churchly trills, nu-metal groans, quiet-storm beats, and zero concern for coolness. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2021 Besides, the current Francis seems revolutionary enough for an era of ecological crisis, humanitarian disaster, and churchly scandal, especially since Wenders has the pope on camera directly sharing his thoughts with the audience. Ty Burr, BostonGlobe.com, 16 May 2018 Black leather Versace motorcycle jackets sport jeweled crucifixes inspired by Byzantine mosaics, blending edgy coolness with churchly devotion. Rhonda Garelick, The Cut, 10 May 2018 The music was a churchly choir, the lighting diffused, almost baroque. Cathy Horyn, The Cut, 15 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churchly
Adjective
  • To be sure, some of the new pope’s ecclesiastical priorities, such as highlighting inequality in what is the world’s most unequal region, will resonate with many Latin Americans; and most Latin Americans will see the rise to the papacy of one of their own as a tremendous source of pride.
    Omar G. Encarnación, Foreign Affairs, 19 Mar. 2013
  • Second, the dating of the Paschal Full Moon is not based on astronomical computations but rather is taken from ecclesiastical tables.
    Joe Rao, Space.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Forbidden passion fueled the plot of The Thorn Birds in which the late Richard Chamberlain, played the priest Ralph de Bricassart, a heartthrob in ecclesiastic wear.
    Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Forget Fleabag, Conclave, Nobody Wants This, or Ramy, there’s a new ecclesiastic bombshell on the block.
    Riann Phillip, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Francis urged political leaders to guard against religious extremism and warned Catholics not to force their faith on others during a 2024 visit to Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • For many in the Baptist denomination, Easter Sunday church service isn’t just a religious obligation but a homecoming.
    Tiana Randall, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Churchly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churchly. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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