DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 Ap·os·tol·ic Ap·os·tol·ic·al a.
 1. Pertaining to an apostle, or to the apostles, their times, or their peculiar spirit; as, an apostolical mission; the apostolic age.
 2. According to the doctrines of the apostles; delivered or taught by the apostles; as, apostolic faith or practice.
 3. Of or pertaining to the pope or the papacy; papal.
 Apostolical brief. See under Brief.
 Apostolic canons, a collection of rules and precepts relating to the duty of Christians, and particularly to the ceremonies and discipline of the church in the second and third centuries.
 Apostolic church, the Christian church; -- so called on account of its apostolic foundation, doctrine, and order. The churches of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem were called apostolic churches.
 Apostolic constitutions, directions of a nature similar to the apostolic canons, and perhaps compiled by the same authors or author.
 Apostolic fathers, early Christian writers, who were born in the first century, and thus touched on the age of the apostles. They were Polycarp, Clement, Ignatius, and Hermas; to these Barnabas has sometimes been added.
 Apostolic king (or majesty), a title granted by the pope to the kings of Hungary on account of the extensive propagation of Christianity by St. Stephen, the founder of the royal line. It is now a title of the emperor of Austria in right of the throne of Hungary.
 Apostolic see, a see founded and governed by an apostle; specifically, the Church of Rome; -- so called because, in the Roman Catholic belief, the pope is the successor of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles, and the only apostle who has successors in the apostolic office.
 Apostolical succession, the regular and uninterrupted transmission of ministerial authority by a succession of bishops from the apostles to any subsequent period.  --Hook.
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 Con·sti·tu·tion n.
 1. The act or process of constituting; the action of enacting, establishing, or appointing; enactment; establishment; formation.
 2. The state of being; that form of being, or structure and connection of parts, which constitutes and characterizes a system or body; natural condition; structure; texture; conformation.
    The physical constitution of the sun.   --Sir J. Herschel.
 3. The aggregate of all one's inherited physical qualities; the aggregate of the vital powers of an individual, with reference to ability to endure hardship, resist disease, etc.; as, a robust constitution.
    Our constitutions have never been enfeebled by the vices or luxuries of the old world.   --Story.
 4. The aggregate of mental qualities; temperament.
    He defended himself with . . . less passion than was expected from his constitution.   --Clarendon.
 5. The fundamental, organic law or principles of government of men, embodied in written documents, or implied in the institutions and usages of the country or society; also, a written instrument embodying such organic law, and laying down fundamental rules and principles for the conduct of affairs.
    Our constitution had begun to exist in times when statesmen were not much accustomed to frame exact definitions.   --Macaulay.
 Note: ☞ In England the constitution is unwritten, and may be modified from time to time by act of Parliament.  In the United States a constitution cannot ordinarily be modified, exept through such processes as the constitution itself ordains.
 6. An authoritative ordinance, regulation or enactment; especially, one made by a Roman emperor, or one affecting ecclesiastical doctrine or discipline; as, the constitutions of Justinian.
    The positive constitutions of our own churches.   --Hooker.
    A constitution of Valentinian addressed to Olybrius, then prefect of Rome, for the regulation of the conduct of advocates.   --George Long.
 Apostolic constitutions. See under Apostolic.
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