cathedral

American  

[kuh-thee-druhl] / kəˈθi drəl /

noun

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

• cathedrallike adjective

Etymology

Origin of cathedral

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

Example Sentences

Why, they’d already had a World’s Fair … and there were tall buildings and a zoo, museums and cathedrals and even the mighty, muddy Mississippi River, with a famous bridge across it.

From Literature

Bearing banners saying "Kick polluters out of the Games", the activists set up a model of the Olympic rings covered in black oil in front of the cathedral in central Milan.

From Barron's

"The ISS is a cathedral to human cooperation and collaboration across borders, languages and cultures," John Horack, the former manager of NASA's Science and Mission Systems Office, told AFP.

From Barron's

A series of unfortunate events ultimately lead to her permanent cloister, a tiny cell built into the wall of a cathedral.

From Los Angeles Times

It was—exactly as the Bestiary had said—as large as a cathedral.

From Literature