benedictional means a book of benedictions. It carries an Arena rating of 1367, earned across 38 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, benedictional ranks #2,829 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #6,108 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #6,875 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #8,021 of 17,151 for The Improbable.
Why “benedictional” is a great word
BENEDICTIONAL — [Noun] A liturgical book containing the solemn blessings pronounced by a celebrant over a congregation or specific objects. From Medieval Latin *benedictionale* (neuter of *benedictionalis*, "pertaining to a blessing"), from Latin *benedictio* ("blessing, the act of speaking well") + the adjectival suffix *-alis* ("pertaining to"). Unlike a missal, which orchestrates the full Mass, or a lectionary, which schedules scriptural readings, a benedictional is a specialized anthology of sanctioned goodwill. It is the weight of the tome in the bishop's hands, the prescribed blessing for a pair of warhorses, and the held silence after the words are uttered—a testament to the faith that words, when properly arranged, can alter the substance of things.
Etymology
From benediction + -al.
noun
- a book of benedictions.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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