archbishop

noun

arch·​bish·​op (ˌ)ärch-ˈbi-shəp 

: a bishop at the head of an ecclesiastical province or one of equivalent honorary rank

Examples of archbishop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the basilica pews was the archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu. —Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026

There are currently 26 seats reserved for Church of England archbishops and bishops in the House of Lords. —Michael Saunders, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026

Separately, Sarah Mullally, ‌the archbishop of ​Canterbury and the first woman to ‌head the Church of England, ​delivered her first Easter sermon at Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday. —Reuters, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026

The epitome of that tradition is Choral Evensong, an evening service of hymns, psalms and prayers laid out by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant archbishop of the Church of England, in 1549. —ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English arcebiscop, from Late Latin archiepiscopus, from Late Greek archiepiskopos, from archi- + episkopos bishop — more at bishop

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

archbishop

noun

arch·​bish·​op (ˈ)ärch-ˈbish-əp 

: the bishop of highest rank in a group of dioceses