diocese

noun

di·​o·​cese ˈdī-ə-səs 

-ˌsēs,

-ˌsēz

plural dioceses ˈdī-ə-sə-səz 

-ˌsē-zəz,

 nonstandard  ˈdī-ə-ˌsēz

: the territorial jurisdiction of a bishop

diocesan

dī-ˈä-sə-sən 

 also  ˈdī-ə-ˌsē-sᵊn

adjective

Examples of diocese in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

More than half a century ago, the Catholic diocese dispatched four nuns to fast-growing Central Florida with a simple charge: Find those in need, those who don’t have many other allies, and help them. —Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025

According to the National Catholic Reporter, multiple people were arrested at or near diocese churches on June 20, including a man at Our Lady of Lourdes in Montclair, which ICE officials dispute. —Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025

Nor will they be included in the next edition of the Official Catholic Directory of the United States, the diocese noted in a responding email. —Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2025

San Bernardino — a diocese of over a million Catholics — is the first to issue a special dispensation. —Aleja Hertzler-McCain, NPR, 9 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English diocise, dyoces, borrowed from Anglo-French diocise, dyocés, borrowed from Late Latin diocēsis, dioecēsis "administrative district, province, group of provinces (in the later Roman Empire), jurisdiction of a bishop" (Latin, "administrative district"), borrowed from Late Greek dioíkēsis "administration, control, ordering, civil or ecclesiastical group of provinces, jurisdiction of a bishop," going back to Greek, "management, administration," from dioikē-, variant stem of dioikéō, dioikeîn "to control, manage, look after" (from di- di- + oikeîn "to live, have one's home, order, govern," derivative of oîkos "house, home") + -sis -sis — more at vicinity

Note: In early Modern English diocise, passed on from Middle English, competed unsuccessfully with the Latin/French-influenced forms diocess and diocese. The variant diocess was predominant in the eighteenth century and is the only form entered in Samuel Johnson's dictionary (1755). The situation had changed, at least in the U.S., by the early nineteenth century: Noah Webster, in his American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), enters only diocese, and regards diocess as "a very erroneous orthography."

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for diocese

• abcs
• absentees
• addressees
• adoptees
• allottees
• amputees
• antifreeze
• appellees
• appointees
• arrestees
• artistes
• assamese

Kids Definition

diocese

noun

di·​o·​cese ˈdī-ə-səs 

-ˌsēz,

-ˌsēs

plural dioceses ˈdī-ə-ˌsēz 

-ˌsē-zēz,

-sə-səz

: the district over which a bishop has authority