bishop

noun bish·op \ ˈbi-shəp \

Updated on: 15 May 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

Kensington Palace announced today that the two have invited The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, to deliver the address at their wedding.

— refinery29.com, "Are Harry & Meghan Breaking With Tradition With This Wedding Choice?," 12 May 2018
Davenport serves as the synod’s director of evangelical mission and as an assistant to the bishop.

— kristin e. holmes, Philly.com, "S.E. Pa. Lutheran Synod elects first African American woman as bishop in denomination history," 7 May 2018
The bishop of Dallas' Roman Catholic Diocese has told hundreds of mourners that a slain Dallas police officer was a man of character and discipline who put his family first.

— Fox News, "Bishop: Slain Dallas officer a man of character, discipline," 1 May 2018
The current bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Nelson Perez, is a vocal advocate on embracing immigrants.

— emily bamforth, cleveland.com, "Tremont's Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ becomes third Northeast Ohio sanctuary church," 30 Apr. 2018
The arrest stunned the Bridgeport Diocese where Wallin had been the personal secretary to bishops Walter Curtis and Edward Egan.

— dave altimari, courant.com, "'Monsignor Meth' Faces Parole Violation After Failing Drug Tests," 19 Apr. 2018
The letter, to the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Chile, follows a report the Pope received March 20 detailing interviews with 64 people affected by the scandal.

— rosa flores, CNN, "3 church sex abuse survivors to meet with Pope," 13 Apr. 2018
The Right Reverend Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, bishop of the 5th District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church will be the service preacher.

— atlanta life, ajc, "Churches to hold Easter sunrise service on College Park golf course," 30 Mar. 2018
Francis’s strong defense of a bishop now at the heart of Chile’s scandal has been one of the worst blunders of his papacy, calling into question his commitment to fighting abuse and coverups.

— nicole winfield, BostonGlobe.com, "From pariah to VIP: Whistle-blower in Chile’s sex-abuse scandal awaits audience with pope," 24 Apr. 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

Bishop

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.