bishop

noun bish·op \ ˈbi-shəp \

|Updated on: 7 Aug 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

The bishops represent the vocalist’s demons, and the protective yellow seen in the music video provides him a sliver of hope.

— heran mamo, Billboard, "Here Are the Lyrics to Twenty One Pilots' 'Jumpsuit'," 11 July 2018
The bishop believes a just immigration policy, acceptable to most Republicans and Democrats, is possible.

— peter rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Bordering on faith: San Diego spiritual leaders wrestle with the morality of immigration," 1 July 2018
Not only did his words stay with those who heard them, but the royal couple’s love has stuck with the bishop.

— amanda arnold, The Cut, "Royal Wedding Bishop Reveals Moment He Felt Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Love," 24 June 2018
As the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby is the most senior bishop in the church of England and the symbolic head of the Anglican faith.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "Prince Louis's Christening Details: The Date, Venue, and What We Know About His Godparents," 20 June 2018
The bishops called for House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republican lawmakers to reprimand Sessions.

— CBS News, "Black religious leaders criticize Jeff Sessions' use of scripture to justify family separations," 15 June 2018
The bishops withdrew from the talks, in effect ending them.

— The Economist, "Time is running out for Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega," 9 June 2018
The bishop took pains to describe his activism as non-partisan, declining to criticize President Donald Trump by name.

— daniel burke, CNN, "Fresh off royal sermon, bishop warns 'somebody woke up Jim Crow'," 24 May 2018
Royal wedding watchers celebrated the inclusion of a black gospel choir, the bishop who quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and, of course, Markle's biracial background as signs of a new era for the royals.

— leah prinzivalli, Allure, "This Meme Shows How Important Serena Williams's Royal Wedding Conrows Really Were," 22 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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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.