adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of diocesan
1400–50; late Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Medieval Latin dioecēsānus. See diocese, -an
Explanation
Anything diocesan relates to a diocese, which is an area that a senior Catholic priest is in charge of. You might see it in phrases like “diocesan newspapers,” “diocesan policies,” or “diocesan officials.” If you hear this word rather than see it, its relationship to its root (diocese) may not be obvious because of the shift in stress. Diocesan is simply the adjective of diocese, the territorial jurisdiction of a Catholic bishop. The immediate root is from a Latin word for an “administrative division,” and that meaning is still important. All diocesan affairs relate to how the diocese is organized and run by Catholic officials and clergy under the bishop.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a statement, the Liverpool Diocesan Board of Finance apologised for the errors identified by the Commission.
From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026
The diocese acknowledged that the value of Diocesan assets available to resolve claims, including any available insurance coverage, may not be sufficient to cover the claims and could leave the diocese insolvent.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2025
Casias remains stable and improving and has some legal protection, her attorney, Marysol Castro, managing attorney for Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services in El Paso, said Tuesday.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 19, 2022
Diocesan officials say approximately 2,500 people out of the 100,000 who regularly attend Mass in the region have chosen the traditional liturgy.
From Washington Times • Aug. 1, 2022
Norwich Diocesan Conference was opened at Noverre’s Rooms, Norwich, under the presidency of the Lord Bishop.
From Norfolk Annals A Chronological Record of Remarkable Events in the Nineteeth Century, Vol. 2 by Mackie, Charles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
