diocese
Americannoun
-
dioceses
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of diocese
1300–50; Middle English diocise, diocese < Anglo-French < Late Latin diocēsis, variant of Late Latin, Latin dioecēsis, < Greek dioíkēsis housekeeping, administration, province, diocese, equivalent to dioikē-, variant stem of dioikeîn to keep house, administer, govern ( di- di- 3 + oikeîn to dwell, occupy, manage, derivative of oîkos house) + -sis -sis
Explanation
The group of churches that a bishop supervises is known as a diocese. Typically, a diocese is divided into parishes that are each overseen by a priest. The original dioceses, in ancient Rome, were political rather than religious. Rome was divided into dioceses, each of which was made up of many provinces. After Christianity became the Roman Empire's official religion in the 4th century, the term gradually came to refer to religious districts. The Catholic Church has almost 3,000 dioceses. The Greek root of diocese is dioikesis, "government, administration, or province."
Vocabulary lists containing diocese
World Religions
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Human Geography - High School
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My Sister's Keeper
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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:
As the bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969, he made some decisions that drew criticism, even hostility, from members of the diocese.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Some of that research was carried out with access to the records granted by the relevant diocese.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Appointed priest of Vietnam's Tac Say parish in 1930, Diep was known for his devotion to the poor, sick, and those suffering because of war, according to the local Can Tho diocese.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
The diocese said it continued to offer heartfelt apologies to those affected by accounts of malpractice at the home, and was committed to full transparency.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
All forty churches and eleven rectories that make up the diocese give food and money for the effort.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
But the Synod rejected that, instead voting for independent oversight at a national level, while the Church retains control in dioceses and parishes.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
Altar wine, popularly known as divai in Swahili language, is consumed differently across dioceses, depending on the liturgical season and the level of church activity.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2025
The last time dioceses took such an action was during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were instructed to isolate to slow the spread of the virus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2025
Simons manages a legal proceeding called Northern California Clergy Cases, in which nearly 1,800 individual lawsuits have been filed against seven Catholic dioceses, including Fresno.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2025
In other dioceses the bishops pursued a similar policy.
From Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535 by Eileen Power
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
