BISHOP Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

bishop

noun

Definition of bishop

as in archbishop

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bishop On April 18, 1049, the pope exempted a nunnery in Alsace – now in Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine, France – from the legal authority and supervision of the local bishop. — Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026 Warren Jeffs then appointed Nephi Jeffs, another brother, as bishop. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026 Seven top clergypersons of the Armenian Apostolic Church, including the church head, Karekin II, have been charged with crimes related to the church’s refusal to restore a mutinous bishop. — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep. 2026 Among the mourners and dozens of clergy at Trinity Cathedral in midtown Sacramento on Thursday was a man who met Jerry Lamb just once but whose life the late bishop touched. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bishop

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bishop

Noun

In neighboring Uruguay, where Leo’s visit is expected to energize the Catholic minority in a country that officially celebrates Christmas as Family Day, Cardinal Daniel Sturla, the archbishop of Montevideo, tempered hopes for the historic visit.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
The festival closes with Sam Pollard’s Tutu, a profile of the South African archbishop, anti-Apartheid activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of archbishop

Noun

The Vatican press office said the pope’s recovery continues to progress in line with favorable assessments from his medical team.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Skerritt co-starred opposite Kathy Baker, playing his doctor wife in the community of Rome, Wisconsin, a place with bizarre happenings, like having a robber leaving a trail of frogs or the pope becoming the primary witness to a murder.

— CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of pope

Noun

The men were also ordered to return more than 300 million baht (about $9 million) to the hospice at Wat Phra Bat Namphu temple in the central province of Lopburi, where Alongkot had served as abbot.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
The abbot eventually suspended the monk from his clerical duties a few months ago and the pair’s relationship worsened, per the outlet.

— Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of abbot

Noun

The first is the strikingly Gothic diocesan throne, which sits in the cathedral choir and dates from the Victorian era.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026
The diocesan website includes a statement from Dallas Bishop Edward Burns connecting the need for social distancing with the story of the Good Samaritan.

— David Tarrant, Dallas News, 6 Apr. 2020

Definition of diocesan

Noun

Making small talk, for instance, can help forge both personal and professional relationships down the line, says Kristie Patten, dean of NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

— Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Now in its third year, women make up a majority of the BHC's enrollment, according to the college's dean, Boatamo Ati Mosupyoe.

— Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of dean

Noun

This would be the case also for an apostate, heretic, schismatic bishop, presbyter, or deacon.

— Fr. Goran Jovicic, National Review, 13 June 2021
Before coming to Birmingham, Webster had served 18 years as executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Sierra Blanca in southern New Mexico.

— Greg Garrison, AL.com, 19 July 2017

Definition of presbyter

Noun

The group was founded in 1970 in Switzerland by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, a French prelate, but five years later was officially suppressed by the Bishop of Fribourg.

— Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
In roughly 33 hours over the course of two days, the diverse group of international prelates elected Prevost on the fourth ballot.

— Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026

Definition of prelate

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“Bishop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bishop. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bishop

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