Eucharist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. A Christian sacrament in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed to commemorate Christ's last meal with his disciples | the consecrated bread and wine themselves
  2. a sacred Christian ceremony involving consecrated bread and wine consumed to commemorate Christ's final meal | the consecrated elements themselves
  3. a Christian sacrament where blessed bread and wine are partaken to honor Christ's last supper | the holy substances used in this rite

Etymology: The word "eucharist" originates in the Christian religious tradition and carries within it a journey from ancient Greek through ecclesiastical Latin into English. The term comes from the Greek "eucharistia," composed of two elements: the prefix "eu-" meaning "good" or "well," and "charizomai," a verb meaning "to give graciously" or "to show favor." The noun "charis" from which "charizomai" derives means "grace" or "favor," so "eucharistia" literally conveys the sense of "thanksgiving" or "gratitude." This Greek word was adopted by early Christians to describe the central ritual of their faith, the commemoration of Christ's last meal with his disciples. The theological significance of the term shaped its adoption into Latin as "eucharistia," and from there it passed into Old French as "eucharistie." The word entered Middle English in the 12th century, initially used among the clergy and educated ecclesiastical circles to refer specifically to the Christian sacrament of communion—the consecrated bread and wine believed by Catholics to become, or to represent, the body and blood of Christ. The sense of thanksgiving embedded in the Greek root remained theologically resonant, as the ritual itself was understood as an act of gratitude to God. By the time the word was firmly established in English, it had become a technical religious term with precise doctrinal meaning, though its original etymological sense of "giving thanks" or "showing grace" continued to inform its use in liturgical contexts. The word has remained relatively stable in form and meaning from its entry into English through the present day, serving as a fundamental term in Christian theology and practice across numerous denominations.

Synonyms: communion, sacrament, mass, liturgy, rite