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Ecclesiastical vs Pious - What's the difference?

ecclesiastical | pious |

As adjectives the difference between ecclesiastical and pious

is that ecclesiastical is of or pertaining to the church while pious is of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, godfearing.

ecclesiastical

English

Alternative forms

* ecclesiasticall (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of or pertaining to the church
    • ecclesiastical architecture

    Related terms

    * antiecclesiastical * nonecclesiastical

    Synonyms

    * (l) * ecclesiastic (less common)

    See also

    *

    pious

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, godfearing.
  • * 2014, (Paul Salopek), Blessed. Cursed. Claimed. , National Geographic (December 2014)[http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/pilgrim-roads/salopek-text]
    • Its male residents dress like crows: heavy black suits, black Borsalino hats, the old grandfathers hugely whiskered and the boys in peot, the curled sidelocks of the pious .

    Usage notes

    * Sometimes used pejoratively, in the sense of "mistaken" or "false" piety, as in "pious errors", "pious frauds".

    Synonyms

    * reverent, reverential, dutiful, religious, devout, godly

    Antonyms

    * (of or pertaining to piety) impious, independent, profane

    Derived terms

    * piously * piousness

    Related terms

    * piety