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

Leo is remembered fondly in the city, where he was considered a hands-on bishop who was known to travel across his diocese on horseback. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026

The most symbolic, perhaps, is the Capilla San Óscar Romero, located in Chiclayo, the pope’s former diocese. — Eben Levey, The Conversation, 6 Nov. 2026

The highlight of Leo’s trip will certainly be his return to Peru and especially his diocese of Chiclayo, including the sprawling midsize city in northern Peru near the Pacific Coast. — ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026

The Virginia Catholic Conference, covering the two dioceses of Richmond and Arlington, has been the leading religious force in rallying against the amendment. — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026

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

• agrees
• appease
• bougies
• burmese
• chemise
• chickpeas
• chinese
• cowpeas
• curies
• decrees
• degrees
• disease

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