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  • bishop
    bishop
    noun
    a person who supervises a number of local churches or a diocese, being in the Greek, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other churches a member of the highest order of the ministry.
  • Bishop
    Bishop
    noun
    Elizabeth, 1911–79, U.S. poet.
Synonyms

bishop

1 American  
[bish-uhp] / ˈbɪʃ əp /

noun

bishops plural
  1. a person who supervises a number of local churches or a diocese, being in the Greek, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other churches a member of the highest order of the ministry.

  2. a spiritual supervisor, overseer, or the like.

  3. Chess. one of two pieces of the same color that may be moved any unobstructed distance diagonally, one on white squares and the other on black.

  4. a hot drink made of port wine, oranges, cloves, etc.

  5. Also called bishop bird.  any of several colorful African weaverbirds of the genus Euplectes, often kept as pets.


verb (used with object)

bishoped, bishoping
  1. to appoint to the office of bishop.

Bishop 2 American  
[bish-uhp] / ˈbɪʃ əp /

noun

  1. Elizabeth, 1911–79, U.S. poet.

  2. Hazel Gladys, 1906–1998, U.S. chemist and businesswoman.

  3. John Peale, 1892–1944, U.S. poet and essayist.

  4. Morris (Gilbert), 1893–1973, U.S. humorist, poet, and biographer.

  5. William Avery Billy, 1894–1956, Canadian aviator: helped to establish Canadian air force.


bishop 1 British  
/ ˈbɪʃəp /

noun

  1. (in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Greek Orthodox Churches) a clergyman having spiritual and administrative powers over a diocese or province of the Church See also suffragan

  2. (in some Protestant Churches) a spiritual overseer of a local church or a number of churches

  3. a chesspiece, capable of moving diagonally over any number of unoccupied squares of the same colour

  4. mulled wine, usually port, spiced with oranges, cloves, etc

"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

Bishop 2 British  
/ ˈbɪʃəp /

noun

  1. Elizabeth . 1911–79, US poet, who lived in Brazil. Her poetry reflects her travelling experience, esp in the tropics

"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

Bishop Scientific  
/ bĭshəp /
  1. American molecular biologist who, working with Harold Varmus, discovered oncogenes. For this work, Bishop and Varmus shared the 1989 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine.


bishop Cultural  
  1. In some Christian churches, a person appointed to oversee a group of priests or ministers and their congregations. In the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Roman Catholic Church, bishops are considered the successors of the Twelve Apostles.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of bishop

before 900; Middle English; Old English bisc ( e ) op < Vulgar Latin *ebiscopus, for Late Latin episcopus < Greek epískopos overseer, equivalent to epi- epi- + skopós watcher; see scope

Explanation

A bishop is a religious authority figure in some Christian churches. In many churches, a bishop ordains, or appoints, ministers and priests. In Christian traditions ranging from Roman Catholic to Lutheran, bishops play an important role in church oversight. In many orthodox and Catholic churches, bishops are believed to be the successors to the original twelve apostles from the Bible's New Testament. The chess piece called the bishop comes from this religious figure, and the word itself comes from the Greek episkopos, "watcher or overseer."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing 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.

See Examples For:

It took letters from the couple, their parents, the local bishop, the village vicar and more to convince authorities to allow the ceremony.

From BBC Jul. 24, 2026

Though his first love was always parish work, we were there for his elevations to auxiliary bishop of San Francisco, bishop of San Diego and, most recently, archbishop of Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 8, 2026

Now as a bishop, with a Church commitment to tangibly repent for its past sins, she felt the institution was starting to better represent the Church her mother and many others had stayed loyal to.

From BBC Jun. 18, 2026

The Vatican announced the nomination of Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, 55, currently an auxiliary bishop in Washington, to the diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in the poor mountainous state of West Virginia.

From Barron's May 1, 2026

“We should love to. The bishop is always so busy, alas. Please remember me to your husband, and be sure to ask him to revive the ball.”

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Organized by chief curator Janet Bishop and former associate curator Maria Castro, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it remains on view through Sept. 13.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 25, 2026

He is still officially Britain's Strongest Man after winning the title for a fourth time in February, beating Adam Bishop and Paddy Haynes.

From BBC Jul. 20, 2026

Bishop said he doesn’t necessarily discourage clients from holding company stock, but advises them to think about it hard.

From MarketWatch Jul. 15, 2026

It was probably commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux -- William the Conqueror's half-brother -- in 1077 to decorate the new cathedral in his hometown, Bayeux, according to the tapestry's home museum.

From Barron's Jul. 10, 2026

Julia Bishop had seen my most embarrassing and hidden truths, and I knew almost nothing about her.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith

On Thursday, the Vatican’s doctrinal office said the measures were a response to the group’s consecration of four bishops earlier this week without the consent of Pope Leo XIV.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 2, 2026

Leo recently warned the group against moving forward with its plans to consecrate the bishops in open defiance of his authority.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 2, 2026

In response, the Society's total of six bishops were excommunicated - and, in a highly unusual move, the Vatican said all the group's lay members "are to be considered schismatic and excommunicated".

From BBC Jul. 2, 2026

But for these four men, their time as bishops may be very short.

From BBC Jul. 1, 2026

Many Germans joined with priests, bishops, and other clergy to lobby against the euthanasia action.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

He would be bishoped here, and bishoped there, before the eyes of all palatial men and women, till life would be a burden to him.

From The Last Chronicle of Barset by Trollope, Anthony

All over the country the farmers and horse-dealers knew that neither Jasper nor Panuel ever bishoped a gry, or indulged in any other horse-dealing tricks.

From Aylwin by Watts-Dunton, Theodore

In that county burnt milk is still said to be "bishoped."

From In a Green Shade A Country Commentary by Hewlett, Maurice Henry

The archdeacon knew his subject, and really understood the business of bishoping, which the others did not; and this was his strong ground.

From Barchester Towers by Trollope, Anthony

A term used among horse-dealers, for burning the mark into a horse's tooth, after he has lost it by age; by bishoping, a horse is made to appear younger than he is.

From 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Grose, Francis

Have not our Conformists in Scotland hitherto commonly omitted bishoping of children, and the ministration of the sacraments in private places?

From The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) by Gillespie, George

The archdeacon knew his subject and really understood the business of bishoping, which the others did not, and this was his strong ground.

From Barchester Towers by Trollope, Anthony

His method was by no means soft; on the contrary, it was hard, rapid, severe,—somewhat on the model of Tryggveson's, though with more of bishoping and preaching superadded.

From Early Kings of Norway by Carlyle, Thomas

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