bishop

noun bish·op \ ˈbi-shəp \

|Updated on: 10 Jul 2018

Definition of bishop

1 : one having spiritual or ecclesiastical supervision: such as

a : an Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, or Roman Catholic clergyman ranking above a priest, having authority to ordain and confirm, and typically governing a diocese

b : any of various Protestant clerical officials who superintend other clergy

c : a Mormon high priest presiding over a ward or over all other bishops and over the Aaronic priesthood

2 : either of two pieces of each color in a set of chessmen having the power to move diagonally across any number of adjoining unoccupied squares

3 : mulled port wine flavored with oranges and cloves

See bishop defined for English-language learners

See bishop defined for kids

Examples of bishop in a Sentence

the Bishop of New York

Recent Examples of bishop from the Web

In 2015, Francis appointed Barros as bishop of the town of Osorno, prompting to an outcry from that region’s Catholics.

— kristin e. holmes, Philly.com, "The Philly man who survived sexual abuse by a priest, and the pope who asked for his forgiveness," 25 May 2018
He has been affiliated with churches in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Lincoln Heights, Ohio, and Baltimore, Maryland, before being elected the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina.

— elizabeth angell, Town & Country, "Who Is Bishop Michael Curry, the Preacher Who Delivered the Sermon at the Royal Wedding?," 19 May 2018
Foley's casket was laid to rest next to a memorial plaque for his predecessor, Bishop Raymond Boland, who served as bishop of Birmingham from 1988-93.

— greg garrison, AL.com, "Bishop Foley buried at cathedral," 23 Apr. 2018
Their local church, also called the district, is led by a bishop and two ministers, who are selected by lottery and serve for life while keeping their day jobs.

— kim woodard osterholzer, WSJ, "Faith and Family Among the Amish," 14 June 2018
The board, which includes cardinals and bishops, unanimously approved a plan to cut spending in certain areas and raise it in others.

— nick anderson, Washington Post, "Catholic U. board proclaims confidence in leadership, responding to faculty revolt," 5 June 2018
Rallies are also planned for Wednesday in 16 cities across the Greek region of Macedonia, with the support of local mayors and bishops, and seven more in other parts of the country.

— niki kitsantonis, New York Times, "Deal for Macedonia Name? High Treason, Some Greeks Say," 5 June 2018
For the first time in Denver history, newspapers said then, a layperson’s dead body lay in state in a Catholic church, an honor then reserved for priests and bishops and others of high holy order.

— meagan flynn, ajc, "Former slave, on possible path to sainthood, to be entombed in Denver cathedral," 4 June 2018
Oklahoma’s Catholic bishops and the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma support the law.

— ariel jao /, NBC News, "California bans state-funded travel to Oklahoma following new adoption law," 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bishop.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The Old English word bisceop, from which we get our English word bishop, comes from the Latin word episcopus. Like many other Latin words connected with religion and the church, this was borrowed from Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written. The Greek word episkopos, meaning “overseer,” was first used for officials in government, and later came to be used for church leaders. In the Bible, bishop and priest were used to identify the same thing. It was much later when a bishop became overseer of a large district, or diocese.

Origin and Etymology of bishop

Middle English bisshop, from Old English bisceop, from Late Latin episcopus, from Greek episkopos, literally, overseer, from epi- + skeptesthai to look — more at spy

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Bishop

biographical name Bish·op \ ˈbi-shəp \

Definition of Bishop

Elizabeth 1911–1979 American poet

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biographical name

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John Michael 1936– American microbiologist

BISHOP Defined for English Language Learners

bishop

noun

Definition of bishop for English Language Learners

: an official in some Christian religions who is ranked higher than a priest and who is usually in charge of church matters in a specific geographical area
: a piece in the game of chess that moves across the board at an angle

BISHOP Defined for Kids

bishop

noun bish·op \ ˈbi-shəp \

Definition of bishop for Students

1 : a member of the clergy of high rank

2 : a piece in the game of chess

History for bishop

The original duty of a bishop was to watch over the members of a church as a shepherd watches over a flock. Appropriately, the word bishop comes ultimately from a Greek word, episkopos, that means literally “overseer”: the prefix epi- means “on” or “over,” and the second part -skopos means “watcher.” The pronunciation of the word was changed when it was borrowed from Greek into Latin, and further changed when it was borrowed into Old English. In Old English it was spelled bisceop but probably sounded quite a bit like the modern word bishop.