episcopal

[ ih-pis-kuh-puhl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a bishop:

   episcopal authority.

2. based on or recognizing a governing order of bishops:

   an episcopal hierarchy.

3. (initial capital letter) designating the Anglican Church or some branch of it, as the Episcopal Church in America.

noun

1. (initial capital letter) Informal. an Episcopalian.

Episcopal

¹

/ ɪˈpɪskəpəl /

adjective

1. belonging to or denoting the Episcopal Church

episcopal

²

/ ɪˈpɪskəpəl /

adjective

1. of, denoting, governed by, or relating to a bishop or bishops

Derived Forms

• Eˈpiscopally, adverb
• eˈpiscopally, adverb

Other Words From

• e·pisco·pal·ly adverb
• none·pisco·pal adjective
• none·pisco·pal·ly adverb
• pseudo·e·pisco·pal adjective
• quasi-e·pisco·pal adjective
• quasi-e·pisco·pal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of episcopal¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English word from Late Latin word episcopālis. See bishop, -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of episcopal¹

C15: from Church Latin episcopālis, from episcopus bishop

Example Sentences

In the run-up to the poll, the head of the episcopal conference - the Catholic co-ordinating body in the country - had lambasted the commission's chief, Denis Kadima, for getting the elections "off to a bad start".

From BBC

“The Russians did not try to Russify the natives,” said the Rev. Deacon Thomas Rivas, the episcopal secretary to the Alaska Orthodox bishop.

From Seattle Times

The diplomatic source said negotiations between the government and the country's Catholic bishops are ongoing over Alvarez's future, and that the formerly jailed prelate was currently at the Catholic episcopal compound in the capital.

From Reuters

It was also the first publication to report on the clergy sex abuse crisis and the episcopal cover-up beginning in the 1980s, many years before the Boston Globe published its own investigation.

From Los Angeles Times

At 54, he was two decades shy of the normal retirement age for bishops, and he never held an episcopal appointment after that.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• ecclesiastical
• ministerial
• monastic
• pastoral
• rabbinical