episcopal

American  

[ih-pis-kuh-puhl] / ɪˈpɪs kə pəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a bishop.

   episcopal authority.

2. based on or recognizing a governing order of bishops.

   an episcopal hierarchy.

3. (initial capital letter) designating the Anglican Church or some branch of it, as the Episcopal Church in America.

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noun

1. (initial capital letter) an Episcopalian.

Episcopal ¹ British  

/ ɪˈpɪskəpəl /

adjective

1. belonging to or denoting the Episcopal Church

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episcopal ² British  

/ ɪˈpɪskəpəl /

adjective

1. of, denoting, governed by, or relating to a bishop or bishops

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Other Word Forms

• Episcopally adverb
• episcopally adverb
• nonepiscopal adjective
• nonepiscopally adverb
• pseudoepiscopal adjective
• quasi-episcopal adjective
• quasi-episcopally adverb

Etymology

Origin of episcopal

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English word from Late Latin word episcopālis. See bishop, -al ¹

Example Sentences

What an incredible controversy, that an episcopal bishop should be calling on us to have mercy and to love one another.

From Los Angeles Times

In the run-up to the poll, the head of the episcopal conference - the Catholic co-ordinating body in the country - had lambasted the commission's chief, Denis Kadima, for getting the elections "off to a bad start".

From BBC

“The Russians did not try to Russify the natives,” said the Rev. Deacon Thomas Rivas, the episcopal secretary to the Alaska Orthodox bishop.

From Seattle Times

The diplomatic source said negotiations between the government and the country's Catholic bishops are ongoing over Alvarez's future, and that the formerly jailed prelate was currently at the Catholic episcopal compound in the capital.

From Reuters

At 54, he was two decades shy of the normal retirement age for bishops, and he never held an episcopal appointment after that.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• ecclesiastical
• ministerial
• monastic
• pastoral
• rabbinical