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Showing results for archbishop. Search instead for archbishopdom.
Synonyms

archbishop

American  
[ahrch-bish-uhp] / ˈɑrtʃˈbɪʃ əp /

noun

  • archbishops
    plural
  1. a bishop of the highest rank who presides over an archbishopric or archdiocese.


archbishop British  
/ ˈɑːtʃˈbɪʃəp /

noun

  1. Abbreviation: abp.   Abp.   Arch.   Archbp.  a bishop of the highest rank

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of archbishop

before 900; Middle English; Old English arcebisceop ( arce- arch- 1 + bisceop bishop ), modeled on Late Latin archiepiscopus < Greek archiepískopos; replacing Old English hēahbisceop ( see high)

Vocabulary lists containing archbishop

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.

See Examples For:

If this sounds more Hollywood than parish church to you, well, it appears that Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, agrees.

From Slate Jun. 8, 2026

And apart from a rabbi and a retired Catholic archbishop, almost all the 20 listed "faith leaders" who will speak are evangelical Protestants.

From Barron's May 17, 2026

Still, the archbishop is hopeful that the sparring will blow over.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 17, 2026

The archbishop said men had also supported her but that this afternoon's service - would give the sense of being "something about celebrating women".

From BBC Mar. 25, 2026

Thomas Bradwardine, who was to become archbishop of Canterbury, tried to disprove atomism, Aristotle’s old nemesis.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

They will take their seats alongside around 700 existing life peers, who are appointed to the role, and 26 Church of England archbishops and bishops.

From BBC Apr. 29, 2026

Soon after, she was one of just a handful of people from Synod appointed to the Crown Nominations Commission, a panel that selects new bishops and archbishops.

From BBC Jun. 29, 2025

This led Mrs Pailing and other senior cathedral staff to write to the archbishops of Canterbury and York expressing their “profound concern” and asking them to intervene.

From BBC Aug. 13, 2024

Francis made the unscripted comments at the end of Mass, calling up the former and current archbishops of Hong Kong, Cardinal John Tong Hon and Archbishop Stephen Chow, to flank him as he spoke.

From Reuters Sep. 3, 2023

I thought only archbishops and popes were posh enough for butlers, but vicars can obviously have them too.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

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