Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One of the books of the Old Testment, also called the Preacher.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One of the canonical books of the Old Testament.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun biblical A book in the Old Testament of the Bible. Sometimes abbreviated as Eccl. or Eccles.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an Old Testament book consisting of reflections on the vanity of human life; is traditionally attributed to Solomon but probably was written about 250 BC

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Late Latin Ecclēsiastēs, from Greek Ekklēsiastēs, preacher (translation of Hebrew qōhelet), from ekklēsiastēs, a member of the ecclesia, from ekklēsiā, ecclesia; see ecclesia.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin Ecclesiastes, from Ancient Greek according Septuaginta Ἐκκλησιαστής

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Examples

  • I remember thinking at the time it was a really stupid idea, but apparently it had longevity, because those hands were the first thing I thought about when the word Ecclesiastes popped into my mind at two a.m.

    Muffins and Mayhem Suzanne Beecher 2010

  • I remember thinking at the time it was a really stupid idea, but apparently it had longevity, because those hands were the first thing I thought about when the word Ecclesiastes popped into my mind at two a.m.

    Muffins and Mayhem Suzanne Beecher 2010

  • Pretty soon, the brazen number seven was followed by the word Ecclesiastes.

    Muffins and Mayhem Suzanne Beecher 2010

  • Pretty soon, the brazen number seven was followed by the word Ecclesiastes.

    Muffins and Mayhem Suzanne Beecher 2010

  • "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" is a really powerful story to begin with - consciously old-fashioned but doing something new as well.

    Linkspam for 24-8-2009 nwhyte 2009

  • Ecclesiastes is another complicated and ambiguous book.

    RCIA Presentation: The Old Testament 2007

  • Ecclesiastes is another complicated and ambiguous book.

    Archive 2007-01-01 2007

  • MR. DANA PORTER: Referring to the Bible as a textbook on Economics, perhaps Mr. Gardiner will remember the reference in Ecclesiastes, where the words are used: "In times of prosperity rejoice; in years of famine consider."

    Conditions in the West 1935

  • The Scope of Ecclesiastes is to show the vanity of all mere human pursuits, when made the chief end, as contrasted with the real blessedness of true wisdom, that is, religion.

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • Tina always had a slight proclivity for sermonizing, but a chapter in Ecclesiastes, coming from little preachers with lips and eyes like hers, is generally acceptable.

    Oldtown Folks 1869

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