superior general
1
9.6
- noun
- Formal
:
superior general
- Father Adolfo Nicolás served as the superior general of the Jesuit order for nearly a decade.
- superior general of the Jesuits
- superior general of the Jesuits
- superior general of the Society
Examples
-
The Jesuit superior general oversees the administration of the entire order.
-
She was demonstrating signs of female weakness; the superior general replied stiffly.
Fiction book (2002) -
I am here on the instructions of the episcopal commission. Mother Vauzou, the Benedictine, informed the superior general, as dry as toast.
Fiction book (2002) -
TERNA: A list of three names submitted to the Holy See as candidates for a particular episcopal see; or a similar list given to the superior general of a religious institute for appointment or approval as provincial.
Blog text (32) -
Nevertheless, the Benedictine brother charged with taking the superior general's testimony understood that Mother Vauzou was determined to sit erect, which feat, after some adjustment and repositioning, she managed to accomplish.
Fiction book (2002) -
The superior general held a meeting with the leaders of various congregations to discuss new initiatives.
Synonyms
132
8.9
The leader of a religious order who looks after many communities
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'superior' (a person of higher rank) and 'general' (chief) together cue the idea of a high-ranking leader, so learners can infer it refers to an overall or chief superior. However, the exact institutional meaning — a specific ecclesiastical title for the head of a religious order — is specialized and not fully predictable from the parts for a B1 learner, making the phrase only partially transparent.
Etymology
Superior general comes from two words: superior (someone above others) and general (in charge of the whole group). Imagine a person standing above all members and leading the entire order, so the title means the 'head' of a religious order.