ex-, ec-, e-

1. A church, either as a body or as a building.
2. The public legislative assembly of the Greek Athenians.
3. The political assembly of citizens of an ancient Greek state.

1. A clergyman or other person in religious orders.
2. Of or associated with a church (especially a Christian Church).
3. A member of the ecclesia in ancient Athens.

1. A reference to the church or the clergy; churchly; clerical; not secular.
2. Associated with a church; especially, a Christian Church.
3. Appropriate to a church or to use in a church: "ecclesiastical architecture"; "ecclesiastical robes".

1. Choosing what is best or preferred from a variety of sources, ideas, or styles.
2. Made up of elements from various sources.
3. Not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc.; but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.
4. Noting or pertaining to works of architecture, decoration, landscaping, etc., produced by a certain person or during a certain period, that derive from a wide range of historic styles.

The style in each instance often being chosen for its fancied appropriateness to local tradition, local geography, the purpose to be served, or the cultural background of the client.

5. Etymology: from French eclectique, from Greek eklektikos, "selective"; literally, "picking out", from eklektos, "selected"; from eklegein, "to pick out, to select"; from ek, "out" + legein, "to gather, to choose". Originally a group of ancient philosophers who selected doctrines from every system available to them.

1. Rapturous delights.
2. Overpowering emotions or exaltations; states of sudden, intense feelings.
3. The frenzy of poetic inspirations.
4. Mental transports or raptures from the contemplation of divine things.

1. Intense joy or delight.
2. A state of emotion so intense that one is carried beyond thought and self-control.
3. The trance or rapture of a mystic or prophetic exaltation (being carried away by overwhelming emotion).
4. Etymology: from Old French extasie and Late Latin extasis, from Greek ekstasis, a derivative of the verb existanai, "displace, drive out of one's mind".

In its original sense, ecstasy referred to a trancelike condition marked by a loss of rational experience and by concentration on a single emotion; now, it usually means intense delight.

1. Of or pertaining to ecstasy, or being extremely happy.
2. A reference to, or caused by, ecstasy or an excessive emotion; of the nature, or in a state, of ecstasy; as, an ecstatic gaze; an ecstatic trance.
3. In a state of ecstasy; enraptured; delightful beyond measure; rapturous; ravishing: "She was in a state of ecstatic joy when the publisher decided to publish her novel."
4. Etymology: A compound formed from the prefix ek-, "out" and histanae, "place" (a distant relative of English word stand). In other words, anyone who is ecstatic can be described as being "out of his/her mind."

The underlying notion of being "beside oneself, in the grip of extreme passion" has survived in modern English as it relates to mystic experiences or trances, and also, in such phrases as "an ecstasy of rage", and the specific sense of "delight" developed more recently, as historical times are concerned, perhaps in the 17th century.

1. In an ecstatic manner: "His wife reacted ecstatically when he told her that they were going on a cruise ship."
2. A description of extreme happiness, especially when feeling pleasure.