vicar-general

[vik-er-jen-er-uhl]

noun

plural

vicars-general 

1. Roman Catholic Church.,  a priest deputized by a bishop to assist him in the administration of a diocese.

2. Church of England.,  an ecclesiastical officer, usually a layperson, who assists a bishop or an archbishop in the discharge of his judicial or administrative duties.

vicar general

noun

1. an official, usually a layman, appointed to assist the bishop of a diocese in discharging his administrative or judicial duties

Other Word Forms

• vicar-generalship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vicar-general¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400