Dictionary.com

autocephalous

[ aw-tuh-sef-uh-luhs ]
/ ˌɔ təˈsɛf ə ləs /
Save This Word!

adjective Eastern Church.
(of a church) having its own head or chief bishop, though in communion with other Orthodox churches.
(of a bishop) subordinate to no superior authority; self-governing.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of autocephalous

First recorded in 1860–65, autocephalous is from the Late Greek word autoképhalos having its own head. See auto-1, -cephalous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use autocephalous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for autocephalous

autocephalous
/ (ˌɔːtəʊˈsɛfələs) /

adjective
(of an Eastern Christian Church) governed by its own national synods and appointing its own patriarchs or prelates
(of a bishop) independent of any higher governing body

Derived forms of autocephalous

autocephalic (ˌɔːtəʊsɪˈfælɪk), adjectiveautocephaly, noun
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
FEEDBACK