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Glite Dictionary
suffragan bishop

suffragan bishop

9.9
A bishop who helps the main bishop of a diocese with church work
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌfrəɡən ˈbɪʃəp/
  • Specialized
translation icon : obispo sufragáneo
  • As part of the church structure, a suffragan bishop plays a crucial role in supporting the leader of the diocese.

Examples

  • His scholarly and pedagogical achievements were ultimately rewarded when he was promoted in 1628 to the position of suffragan bishop of Metz.

    Academic text (2013)

  • In the Diocese of Alabama, the newly appointed suffragan bishop will assist the diocesan bishop in overseeing church affairs.

  • The Rev. S. Patrick Murphy of Houston has been elected a suffragan bishop of the newly formed Episcopal Missionary Church.

Synonyms

suffragan
vssuffragan bishop
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A bishop who helps the main bishop in a church area called a diocese

applies to a bishop who assists within a specific diocese rather than across churches

Surface Forms

suffragan bishop singular
suffragan bishops plural

Morphology

suffragan + bishop

The noun 'suffragan' already encodes the idea of a bishop who serves under a diocesan bishop, so combining it with 'bishop' yields a directly compositional meaning: a subordinate/assisting bishop. This modifier+noun pattern is standard and would be understandable to a learner who knows the constituent meanings.

Etymology

The term suffragan bishop comes from an old word meaning 'support' or 'vote'. It pictures a smaller bishop standing beside the main one to help, so today it means a bishop who is a helper or subordinate.