noun
simony
Simony (noun) means the practice of buying or selling sacred or spiritual items, for instance church positions, pardons or blessed objects.
noun
1
The practice of buying or selling sacred or spiritual items, for instance church positions, pardons or blessed objects.
"‘There are those two,’ he then said, ‘who were recently arraigned on a charge of high simony. Fancying a monstrance and stealing it and proposing to sell it. They pleaded the usual pagan ignorance.’"
— Anthony Burgess, Hun (1989)
"He openly practiced simony; in other words, he sold benefices."
— Edwin Mullins, The Popes of Avignon (2007)
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Etymology
Comes from Middle English simonie, symonye, from Old French simonie, from Late Latin simonia, named after Simon Magus (Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן, Šimʻôn, "Simon"), with reference to Acts 8:18–20.
Synonyms
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barratry
Rhymes for simony
See all rhymes for simony →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of simony?
"simony" (noun) means the practice of buying or selling sacred or spiritual items, for instance church positions, pardons or blessed objects.
What is another word for simony?
Other words for "simony" include barratry.
