episcopate

noun

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epis·co·pate | \ i-ˈpi-skə-pət

, -ˌpāt \

Definition of episcopate

1 : the rank or office of or term of as a bishop

2 : diocese

3 : the body of bishops (as in a country)

Examples of episcopate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The letter, dated Jan. 1, is Pope Francis’ most explicit acknowledgment yet of the tensions between him and the U.S. episcopate. — Francis X. Rocca, WSJ, "Pope Warns U.S. Bishops Against Disunity Over Sex Abuse," 3 Jan. 2019 Healing will not begin until the episcopate reveals to the world what true repentance looks like, and makes that repentance visible through a change in behavior. — C.c. Pecknold, WSJ, "The Catholic Bishops Who Failed Us All," 16 Aug. 2018 The delay shows that the Vatican simply doesn’t place the same value on speed and openness with the public that the U.S. episcopate does. — Mene Ukueberuwa, WSJ, "The Catholic Bishops Who Couldn’t," 15 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'episcopate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.