bishop

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noun bish·op \ˈbi-shəp\

Definition of bishop

1 : one having spiritual or ecclesiastical supervision: such asa : an Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, or Roman Catholic clergyman ranking above a priest, having authority to ordain and confirm, and typically governing a dioceseb : any of various Protestant clerical officials who superintend other clergyc : 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

The normal retirement age for bishops is 75.Francis could have kept him on, but declined to do so.

— nicole winfield, Time, "Pope Francis Appoints New Doctrine Chief to Replace Cardinal Mueller", 1 July 2017
The problem was that none of the other priests in Juárez wanted to work at the migrant shelter, so the bishop required him to stay.

— alice driver, Longreads, "Father of Migrants", 30 June 2017
The letter is in a folder on the mantel, near a crucifix that once belonged to a Catholic bishop.

— dan horn, Cincinnati.com, "Abused by a priest, now a champion of the church", 24 June 2017
Ever since the officially atheistic communist state cut relations with the Holy See in the 1950s, the Vatican and Beijing have been at loggerheads over who has the right to name bishops in China and other issues governing the church.

— louise watt, The Seattle Times, "German ambassador to China calls for release of bishop", 20 June 2017
The Holy See said Francis had accepted invitations from the heads of state and local bishops.

— Washington Post, "Vatican: Pope to visit Chile and Peru in January 2018", 19 June 2017
Catholic bishops in America have strongly opposed same-sex marriage.

— sharon otterman, New York Times, "As Church Shifts, a Cardinal Welcomes Gays; They Embrace a ‘Miracle’", 13 June 2017
Noravank Monastery, Areni Noravank was built in the 13th century as a home for bishops as well as a prince’s tomb.

— jennifer billock, Smithsonian, "Explore Armenia’s Medieval Monasteries in Interactive 360-Degree Panoramas", 7 June 2017
In fact a number of the cardinals from Brazil and bishops are friends of Pope Francis.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Face to face with Pope Francis on Huntington's disease", 7 June 2017

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!

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Bishop

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biographical name Bish·op \ˈbi-shəp\

Definition of Bishop

Elizabeth 1911–1979 American poet

Bishop

biographical name bish·op

Definition of Bishop

John Michael 1936– American microbiologist

BISHOP Defined for English Language Learners

bishop

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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

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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.