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

Høiby, who is under house arrest pending appeal, was granted permission to attend the funeral, and sat in the second row during the cathedral ceremony alongside Märtha Louise's children.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

A poignant moment as three bell tolls marking the end of a minute's silence in the cathedral was briefly interrupted by a mobile phone alarm going off.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

She summed up her comparison this way: “If you remove the frame of the cathedral, those stained glass windows shatter. They’re useless.”

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

He will also meet people with disabilities and sick members of the faith at Rimini's cathedral before presiding over an open-air mass at the city's port in early evening.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

The voice was loud and round like a cathedral bell.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

We would be sipping ice-cold spritzes at cafés overlooking the Mediterranean, frolicking down cobblestone streets lined with charming boutiques, and marveling at the frescoes and marble sculptures adorning grand cathedrals.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 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

Like the stained-glass windows in European cathedrals, the massive Olmec sculptures and bas-reliefs were meant both to dazzle and instruct.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann