English Reference

Word

eucharist

Phoneticseu·charist

/ˈjukɝəst/

Definitions

01the religious sacrament

C1 · Religion

n. a holy ceremony in Christianity where people eat bread and drink wine to remember Jesus.

n. the Christian sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed.

“The priest prepared the bread and wine for the celebration of the Eucharist.”

“Different Christian denominations hold varying theological views on the nature of the Eucharist, specifically regarding the presence of Christ in the elements.”

Formal · Technical

Usage

Often capitalized as 'Eucharist' when referring to the specific sacrament or service.

Synonyms

Holy CommunionLord's Suppersacrament

02the religious service

C1 · Religion

n. a church service where the ceremony of bread and wine takes place.

n. a Christian liturgical service in which the sacrament of Holy Communion is the central act.

“They attend the Sunday Eucharist at the local cathedral every week.”

“The morning Eucharist was conducted with great solemnity, featuring traditional hymns and a formal procession of the clergy.”

Formal

03the bread and wine

C2 · Religion

n. the actual bread and wine used during the religious ceremony.

n. the consecrated elements of bread and wine used in the sacrament of Holy Communion.

“The believers knelt to receive the Eucharist from the minister.”

“In some traditions, any remaining Eucharist must be consumed or disposed of according to strict liturgical guidelines.”

Formal · Technical

Synonyms

elementshostconsecrated bread

Etymology

From Middle English eukarist, from Old French, from Ecclesiastical Latin eucharistia, from Ancient Greek εὐχαριστία (eukharistía, “gratitude, giving of thanks”). Displaced native Old English hūsl.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference