Ecumenicity

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The principle of promoting unity and cooperation among diverse Christian denominations
2. The notion of universal inclusivity in religious contexts, encouraging dialogue and understanding across faiths
3. A concept related to the idea of fostering fellowship and shared goals among different churches and their followers

Etymology: Ecumenicity is simply "ecumenic" plus the suffix "-ity", which turns an adjective into a noun meaning the quality or condition of being ecumenical. The root adjective "ecumenic" comes from the Greek "oikoumenikos", from "oikoumene", meaning "the inhabited world", itself built on "oikos" (house or dwelling). So the word's oldest sense is geographic: the whole populated earth, not a set of churches at all. The suffix has a longer ancestry than the base. "-ity" descends from Latin "-itas", which passed through Old French "-ite" into Middle English "-ite" before settling into the modern form. It is attached to countless English adjectives, so the word's grammar is entirely regular, and the interest lies in how the Greek root narrowed from "the inhabited world" to the concerns of Christian unity.

Synonyms: interdenominationalism, ecumenism, unity, tolerance, cooperation

Antonyms: sectarianism, division, disunity, intolerance, exclusivity