Roman Catholic Church. a priest deputized by a bishop to assist him in the administration of a diocese.
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.
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Monsignor Stephen Doktorczyk, vicar-general for the Diocese of Orange, said McElroy’s leadership skills have been impressive.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 22, 2022
The project has personal significance for the Rev. Alex Karloutsos, longtime vicar-general for the archdiocese.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 8, 2021
Rossi was for years the vicar-general to DiNardo, the Catholic archbishop of Galveston-Houston and president of the U.S. bishops conference who has been leading the U.S. hierarchy’s response to the sexual abuse scandal.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 21, 2019
John F. Donovan, vicar-general of the Maryknoll Fathers last week, looking back over Bishop Walsh's long career.
From Time Magazine Archive
In the following year he was appointed vicar-general to Carlo Borromeo, archbishop of Milan.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 2 "Gloss" to "Gordon, Charles George" by Various
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.
