-alis

of, relating to

Forms

-alis
-aris — Latin variant especially used when the stem already contained l, avoiding a repeated l sound.
-al — English ending borrowed through French or directly from Latin.
-ar — English ending continuing Latin -aris.

Origin

An older Latin adjective-forming suffix; its more remote ancestry is uncertain.

Note

Expresses a relationship without specifying its kind: material, place, purpose, and other connections are possible.

243 / 291

adjective / noun

sacramental

sak-ruh-MENT-l/ˌsækrəˈmentl/

Associated with sacred Christian rites.

The priest offers the wafer during a sacramental act of Communion.

A Christian priest places a Communion wafer into a woman's open palm beside a chalice, making the relationship to a sacred Christian rite concrete and recognizable.

Etymology

sacraLatinmake sacred or dedicate

+mentLatina means, result, or product

+alLatinof, relating to

The consecration-based noun came to name a Christian rite understood as an outward sign of inward grace. The adjective ending makes sacramental describe what belongs to, or constitutes, such a rite.

In context

Rex Gloriae21:20

we as Christians have a sacramental worldview so we need signs symbols sacraments to point us to the invisible reality

Jesus our High Priest, Mary & the Veil, Rood Screens & Iconostasis

More examples

The church prepares children for sacramental rites such as Communion.
In Catholic practice, holy water is a sacramental.
Catholics use sacramentals such as rosaries to support prayer.

Forms

sacramental · sacramentals

sacrament noun — A sacred rite in the Christian church.

Similar words

sacred: Means holy or religious, without necessarily involving a rite.
liturgical: Relates to organized public worship, rather than sacraments specifically.