What does ecumenical mean?
Ecumenical is an adjective describing efforts toward unity among the world's Christian churches, as in an ecumenical council or ecumenical dialogue between Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox believers. By extension, it has come to describe anything of broad, worldwide, or inclusive scope — an ecumenical approach to art or politics embraces many perspectives rather than a narrow one. The word derives from the Greek oikoumenē, meaning "the inhabited world," which gives it an inherently expansive flavor. It carries a generally positive connotation, suggesting openness, tolerance, and bridge-building rather than division. Most common in formal writing about religion, diplomacy, or cultural affairs, ecumenical is less frequent in casual speech, where words like inclusive or universal often take its place. Its noun counterpart, ecumenism, names the organized modern movement for Christian unity that flourished through the twentieth century.
adjectiveRelating to or promoting unity among the world's Christian churches, or more generally, representing the whole inhabited world and encouraging cooperation across different groups.
- Promoting or relating to unity among different Christian churches and denominations.
- Of worldwide or universal scope; involving or embracing a wide range of different groups.
"The council issued an ecumenical statement calling for unity among all denominations."
"The seminary hosted an ecumenical service attended by Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians alike."
"Her approach to urban planning was notably ecumenical, drawing input from residents, developers, and environmentalists."
The word traces back to the Greek oikoumenē — literally 'the whole inhabited earth' — so when churches hold an ecumenical council, they are quite literally gathering 'the whole world.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ecumenical
Ecumenical comes from the Greek oikoumenē (gē), literally "the inhabited earth," from oikein, "to dwell," related to oikos, "house." The term entered English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, first used of councils claiming to represent the whole Church. Its modern sense of promoting unity among separate churches developed chiefly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries alongside the organized ecumenical movement.
Related word forms
How ecumenical is actually used
The word is somewhat formal in register. Its primary sense remains religious — describing cooperation between Christian denominations (as in the World Council of Churches) — though it is increasingly used in secular contexts to mean broadly inclusive or spanning many fields. In secular use it can carry a faintly approving tone, suggesting openness rather than mere breadth.
Easily confused with ecumenical
Economical means thrifty or cost-saving, while ecumenical relates to church unity or worldwide scope — they differ by one letter but are unrelated in meaning.