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bishop

bishop

210 3.9
A senior church leader who supervises priests in a group of local churches
  • noun
  • /ˈbɪʃəp/
: obispo
  • The bishop conducted a ceremony to bless the new church.
  • priests and bishops
  • Catholic bishop
  • clergy and bishops

And the the Bishop interprets it in the usual way.

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Examples

  • I'll wager when the bishop hears about this, Sister Mary will be transferred in a hurry.

  • He told me to confess the facts to the bishop.

  • What would the bishop say?

  • "How come you were the one the bishop called the minute the body was discovered?"

    Fiction book (1990)
  • What could possibly have been running through the bishop's head to go to this trouble?

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I have to know what's happening to report to the bishop.

  • The bishops will oppose me.

  • In an open letter, they accused the bishop of a deliberate isolation policy.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The effects of these tactical maneuvers on the bishop and his priests are clear enough.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Smith had declined Bishop St. James's invitation to attend, but the bishop was relentlessly persuasive.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

archbishop
vsbishop
31 7.2

A senior bishop who leads a large church area in some Christian churches

holds standard district leadership without extra regional rank
prelate
vsbishop
  • Jargon
12 9.1

A senior church leader who has authority over other clergy

is specifically the senior district overseer of priests and ministers
primate
vsbishop
  • Formal
6 9.8

A senior bishop who is in charge of other bishops in a country or region

focuses authority on a single district and its clergy
diocesan
vsbishop
1 9.9

A bishop who leads a district of the church

is the senior clergy role with historic apostolic succession
suffragan bishop
vsbishop
  • Specialized
9.9

A bishop who helps the main bishop of a diocese with church work

exercises independent oversight and final authority in that district
coadjutor
vsbishop
  • Jargon
9.9

A bishop who helps another bishop in the church and often takes their place

has ongoing oversight without an assigned future takeover
exarch
vsbishop
  • Specialized
9.9

A senior bishop who has power over other bishops in a region

is the local district leader responsible mainly for one area

Idioms

to beat the bishop
  • Offensive
9.9

To touch your own private parts to make yourself sexually excited

A humorous phrase that points out a sexual double meaning in what was said

Compounds

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church

bishop pine
  • Specialized
9.2

A pine tree from the northern California coast with two or three needles in each group

suffragan bishop
  • Specialized
9.9

A bishop who helps the main bishop of a diocese with church work

How Senior

cardinal
50 8.4
archbishop
31 7.2
bishop
210 3.9
priest
∞ 1.0
deacon
31 7.4

Surface Forms

bishop singular
bishops plural

Etymology

The word bishop comes from the Greek episkopos, made of epi- 'over' and skopos 'watcher', so a bishop is someone who 'looks over' and cares for the church.