Meanings
acephali1
- pluralplural of acephalus
- uncommonUncommon form of acephalites
Acephali2
- historicalpluralplural onlyA group of individuals who didn't adhear to the condemnation of Nestorius at the Council of Ephesus (431 CE).
Synonyms: Nestorian Acephali
- historicalpluralplural onlyA faction comprised of people who initially refused to acknowledge the authority of the Council of Chalcedon.
- historicalpluralplural onlyA radical Monophysite sect in the era after the Council of Chalcedon (451 CE). This sect eventually split into three groups, the Anthropomorphites, Barsanuphists, and Esianists, before being absorbed by the Jacobites in the 9th century.
Synonyms: Monophysite Acephali, clerici vagans
- historicalpluralplural onlyA 5th century faction of Eutychians who had no leader.
- historicalpluralplural onlyThe followers of Severus of Antioch.
- historicalpluralplural onlyThe followers of Patriarch Paul of Alexandria after his deposition, and who later aligned themselves with the Miaphysites.
Synonyms: Acephalite, Alexandrian Acephali, later Semidalite, vagabundus, Paulitae
- archaicpluralplural onlytheologicalA congregation whose priest refuses alleigance to their bishop.
- archaichistoricalpluralplural onlyA sect of the Levellers and free socagers who claimed no feudal superior but the King.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA group of individuals who didn't adhear to the condemnation of Nestorius at the Council of Ephesus (431 CE).
nounA radical Monophysite sect in the era after the Council of Chalcedon (451 CE). This sect eventually split into three groups, the Anthropomorphites, Barsanuphists, and Esianists, before being absorbed by the Jacobites in the 9th century.
nounThe followers of Patriarch Paul of Alexandria after his deposition, and who later aligned themselves with the Miaphysites.
nounA 6th century sect with no sucession of priests, who professed to uphold a valid Eucharist by baking bread with the crumbs of blessed bread baked inside it.
Those who didn't acknowledge the Council of Chalcedon
Origin
acephali · noun
- Latinacephalus
- Englishacephali
From Late Latin, plural of Latin acephalus. See acephal.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Acephali · noun
- Ancient Greekἀκέφαλος“headless”
- Late Latinacephalus
- EnglishAcephali
Borrowed from Late Latin acephalus, from Ancient Greek ἀκέφαλος (aképhalos, “headless”), apparently referring to the various movements’ refusals to accept the decisions of church councils.
More words from Late Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
acephali. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acephali
“acephali.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acephali. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acephali,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acephali.
Source: acephali on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.