archpriest

American  

[ahrch-preest] / ˈɑrtʃˈprist /

noun

1. a priest holding first rank, as among the members of a cathedral chapter or among the clergy of a district outside the episcopal city.

2. Roman Catholic Church. a priest acting as superior of the Roman Catholic secular clergy in England, first appointed in 1598 and superseded by a vicar apostolic in 1623.

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archpriest British  

/ ˈɑːtʃˈpriːst /

noun

1. (formerly) a chief assistant to a bishop, performing many of his sacerdotal functions during his absence

2. a senior priest

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Other Word Forms

• archpriesthood
  noun
• archpriestship
  noun

Etymology

Origin of archpriest

1350–1400; Middle English archeprest (modeled on Late Latin archipresbyter < Greek archipresbýteros ). See arch- ¹, priest

Example Sentences

A series of bishops, including Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, said they investigated the allegations, but no one ever interviewed Jarzembowski’s roommate.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 12, 2020

A series of bishops — including Cardinal Angelo Comastri, Francis' vicar for Rome and the archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica — said they investigated, but no one ever interviewed the alleged victim.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2019

Sodano listed the stages of Law’s clerical life and said the late Pope John Paul had “called him to Rome” to be archpriest of a Rome basilica.

From Reuters • Dec. 21, 2017

Cardinal Law stepped down as archbishop on Dec. 13, 2002, and later moved to Rome, where he served, until shortly before his 80th birthday, as archpriest of a basilica.

From Washington Post • Dec. 20, 2017

This was the band of Spirit Séguier; men who had joined their voices with his in the 68th Psalm as they marched down by night on the archpriest of the Cevennes. 

From Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Stevenson, Robert Louis