prelate
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prelate
1175–1225; Middle English prelat < Medieval Latin praelātus a civil or ecclesiastical dignitary, noun use of Latin praelātus (past participle of praeferre to prefer ), equivalent to prae- pre- + lātus, suppletive past participle of ferre to bear 1
Explanation
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy, such as a cardinal, abbot, or bishop, who has authority over lesser clergy. Both Catholic and Protestant religions have prelates in their ranks. The source of prelate is the Latin adjective praelatus, "noble," whose meaning is appropriate to the modern meaning, a high-level church dignitary. The word was applied to those high-ranking clergymen around the beginning of the 13th century, the Middle English coming from the Middle French prelat. As the church's importance increased, so did the importance implied by the word prelate. Ambrose Bierce referred to a prelate as "one of Heaven's aristocracy."
Vocabulary lists containing prelate
A Room of One's Own
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Henry V
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Candide
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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.
The Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero holds one of the most revered positions in the Buddhist world - the chief prelate or custodian of eight sacred sites in Sri Lanka.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
I just thought I’d share that as our president, who grew up on Milton Berle and the great comics of early television, continues verbal war with a different prelate, Pope Leo XIV.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
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 • Jul. 5, 2023
A once-powerful Italian prelate who long served as the Vatican’s No. 2 official but whose legacy was tarnished by his support for the pedophile founder of an influential religious order.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 5, 2022
The story of a prince who could not be killed, a priest who warned of a goddess’s wrath, a French prelate who believed he’d bought the same stone centuries later.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
