noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK, US:/ˈsaɪ.mə.ni/
UK, US:/ˈsɪ.mə.ni/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S AY1 M AH0 N IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The buying or selling of spiritual or sacred things, such as ecclesiastical offices, pardons, or consecrated objects.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
traffic in ecclesiastical offices or preferments
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: barratry
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: traffic
History
Etymology
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.
Across languages
Translations
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
սիմոնականություն
(simonakanutʻyun)
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Old Armenian:
սիմոնեան ախտ
(simonean axt)
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Azerbaijani:
simoniya
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Belarusian:
сімані́я
(simaníja)
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Bulgarian:
симония
(simonija)
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Czech:
svatokupectví
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Danish:
simoni
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Dutch:
simonie
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Dutch:
handel in geestelijke ambten
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Dutch:
handel in geestelijke privileges
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Finnish:
simonia
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
French:
simonie
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Galician:
simonía
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Georgian:
სიმონია
(simonia)
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
German:
Simonie
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
German:
Ämterkauf
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Greek:
σιμωνία
(simonía)
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Italian:
simonia
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Latin:
simonia
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Polish:
symonia
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Polish:
świętokupstwo
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Portuguese:
simonia
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Romanian:
simonie
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Russian:
симони́я
(simoníja)
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Russian:
святоку́пство
(svjatokúpstvo)
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Spanish:
simonía
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Swedish:
simoni
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
Ukrainian:
симоні́я
(symoníja)
— act of buying or selling spiritual things
