Eucharistical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or of the nature of a sacred Christian ritual involving the consecration and consumption of bread and wine as a commemoration of Christ's last meal
2. Pertaining to the Christian sacrament in which blessed bread and wine are consumed as spiritual nourishment and remembrance of Christ's sacrifice
3. Of or belonging to the sacred rite wherein consecrated elements are received as a means of communion with the divine

Etymology: The Greek "eucharistia" meant simply thanksgiving. It combines "eu," meaning well or good, with "charis," meaning grace or favour, the same root that gave English "charisma." The related verb "eucharistein" means to give thanks, and it is the verb the Gospel of Luke uses when Jesus gives thanks over the bread at his last meal. The name of the rite therefore comes from an act of gratitude rather than from the bread or wine themselves. "Eucharistical" is an English adjective built from "eucharist," the noun for that rite, with the suffix "-ical," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "relating to." Its meaning follows the same pattern: it describes anything connected with the sacrament, or with the sense of thanks that gave the rite its name.

Synonyms: sacramental