diocese
Americannoun
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.
Separately, a former minister from another Church of Ireland parish in east Belfast detailed what he believed to be a further safeguarding concern involving the bishop of the diocese David McClay.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Almost all exorcists, at the urging of the Vatican, keep their identities secret, their role in battling the occult known only to the other priests in their diocese.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 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
The two men share a concern for ecology and a passion for sport, according to the diocese of Monaco.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
She sincerely hoped that the first tuition payment of fourteen dollars might be refunded to the diocese.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
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.
