cathedral

American  

[kuh-thee-druhl] / kəˈθi drəl /

noun

cathedrals plural

1. the principal church of a diocese, containing the bishop's throne.

2. (in nonepiscopal denominations) any of various important churches.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or containing a bishop's throne.

2. pertaining to or emanating from a chair of office or authority.

cathedral British  

/ kəˈθiːdrəl /

noun

1. 1. the principal church of a diocese, containing the bishop's official throne

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cathedral city

      cathedral clergy

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cathedral ¹ Cultural  

1. A church building in which a Christian bishop has his official seat; cathedra is Latin for “chair.” Cathedrals are usually large and imposing, and many have been important in the development of architecture. The building of a cathedral, especially in the Middle Ages, was a project in which the entire town took part. (See Chartres; Notre Dame de Paris; and Saint Paul's Cathedral.)

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cathedral ² Cultural  

1. A Christian church building in which a bishop has his official seat (cathedra is Latin for “chair”). A cathedral is usually large and imposing, and many cathedrals are important in the history of architecture. (See Chartres, Notre Dame de Paris, and Saint Paul's Cathedral.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cathedrallike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cathedrals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cathedral

1250–1300; Middle English < Late Latin cathedrālis ( ecclesia ) a cathedral (church). See cathedra, -al ¹

Explanation

On a trip to Europe, many visitors appreciate the stunning architecture of large churches known as cathedrals. The word cathedral comes from a Latin word meaning “seat.” The seat referred to is the seat of the bishop, who is the leader of a group of churches related to the cathedral. The bishop’s seat is both a metaphor for the cathedral as the bishop’s “seat of power” and his actual chair, the "cathedra," inside the cathedral. Originally a cathedral was called a “cathedral church,” with cathedral as an adjective, but it is now a noun.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cathedral cathedrals

Jocelin’s determination to build a vast new spire on the cathedral of which he is dean, without adequate foundations, and against all practical advice, begins as a vision and ends in delusion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 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

It was probably commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux -- William'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. 9, 2026

The cathedral provided a fitting backdrop for the band's homecoming and last album, bassist Horace Panter explained.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

The trees are so tall I feel as if I am in a cathedral.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Many vicars, bishops, and archbishops are known to have personally managed investments in plantations, and in the South Sea Company, sometimes paying for renovations to churches and cathedrals.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

“What an incredible opportunity to elevate the sport in a city where you have one of the great cathedrals of the sport,” Wasserman told The Times last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026

The paper survives as a husk, but the institution that became one of the cathedrals of world journalism is gone.

From Slate ● Feb. 5, 2026

She moves quickly from caves to cathedrals and their architecture, including King’s College Chapel, in Cambridge, with its soaring 16th-century ceiling—the world’s largest fan vault, ribbed in interlocking patterns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

Today’s behavior is no more fixed than when we tumbled out over Europe to build cathedrals in the twelfth century.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas