bishop

noun bish·op \ ˈbi-shəp \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 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

Inhumane and entirely unacceptable' Catholic bishops of the Arizona Catholic Conference on Monday released a statement that also urges the federal government to keep migrant families together.

— rafael carranza, azcentral, "Religious groups push back against family separations at the border," 4 June 2018
But for many, the moment belonged to The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, the presiding bishop of the American Episcopal Church, and the first African American to lead the church.

— ellen mcgirt, Fortune, "raceAhead: An Unapologetically Black Royal Wedding," 21 May 2018
The reverend is part of the Episcopal Church of the United States and is the first black presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.

— tamara fuentes, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Royal Family's Reaction to Reverend Michael Curry's Sermon is Everything," 19 May 2018
The 65-year-old minister is the first African-American bishop of the Episcopal Church.

— elizabeth angell, Town & Country, "Who Is Bishop Michael Curry, the Preacher Who Delivered the Sermon at the Royal Wedding?," 19 May 2018
American Voices The wedding sermon was delivered by Bishop Curry, the first black presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, from Chicago.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "The 5 Most Memorable Moments from the Royal Wedding," 19 May 2018
Curry is the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, the first African-American to hold the post.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "Reverend Michael Curry's sermon added a glowing moral dimension to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.," 19 May 2018
This is why the presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, will preach at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and his American fiancée Meghan Markle on Saturday, May 19.

— lyndsey matthews, Good Housekeeping, "What Religion Is the Royal Family?," 17 May 2018
Lewis’ case was re-examined after a 2002 gathering of Catholic bishops to discuss the then-burgeoning priest abuse scandal.

— brian l. cox, chicagotribune.com, "Ex-priest charged with sex assault of boy in '01 was subject of '94 complaint but returned to ministry, church says," 23 May 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.