bishop

noun bish·op \ ˈbi-shəp \

Updated on: 18 Apr 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

There’s no place in the Catholic Church for a bishop who stood silent as another priest abused young people.

— kevin cullen, BostonGlobe.com, "Maybe I was wrong about Pope Francis," 13 Apr. 2018
According to a statement Thursday from the bishop's office of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, the church will hold services at 10 a.m. April 8, with Bishop John Taylor presiding.

— hillary davis, latimes.com, "Newport’s St. James church to reopen April 8," 30 Mar. 2018
At the beginning of the conference, Pope Francis urged the young people — selected by their national bishops' conferences, universities or church movements — to be honest.

— amanda erickson, Washington Post, "Young Catholics tell Pope Francis the church is indifferent and judgmental," 25 Mar. 2018
The Pro Life Amendment Campaign, which persuaded 67% of voters to approve the 8th Amendment to Ireland’s constitution, was a coalition of Roman Catholic organisations supported by the pope and his bishops.

— The Economist, "Catholics are keeping a low profile in Ireland’s abortion referendum campaign," 22 Mar. 2018
Prosecutors said the attacks were carried out at the behest of Mullet against the bishop's enemies.

— eric heisig, cleveland.com, "Prosecutor: Amish bishop Sam Mullet did a good job at trial, judge shouldn't overturn Mullet's sentence," 19 Mar. 2018
In many key Catholic cities, a grand bishop’s palace — historically owned by the church — stands near the cathedral.

— rick steves, miamiherald, "Looking for a room for the night? Europe’s convents offer tranquility — and treats | Miami Herald," 9 Mar. 2018
Days later, at a candlelight vigil that drew hundreds of mourners to the crime scene, a local Christian bishop denounced the practice of Voodoo, to cheers from the crowd.

— alanna durkin richer, The Seattle Times, "Voodoo believers fear backlash after child slaying, child assaults in U.S.," 12 Feb. 2018
Hunter, the Philadelphia bishop, went fourth in the speaking lineup.

— jonathan m. pitts, baltimoresun.com, "Faithful take 'Rush Hour to Calvary' for Good Friday service," 30 Mar. 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

See Words from the same year

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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.