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 Under the church’s in-house canon law, consecrating a bishop without papal consent incurs an automatic excommunication for both the people administering the consecration and the bishops receiving it. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 Under church law, consecrating bishops without papal approval is considered a schismatic act and carries automatic excommunication for both the bishops being ordained and the bishop performing the ceremony. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 Checchio is the former bishop of Metuchen, who recently became archbishop of New Orleans. — Tony Aiello, CBS News, 29 June 2026 For example, the Life of Saint Æthelwold is a tenth-century biography that narrates the holy life of an English bishop. — Literary Hub, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bishop

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bishop

Noun

Saint Agnes, a historic church founded for German-speaking immigrants in what’s now a diverse, central neighborhood in Minnesota’s capital, offers one traditional Latin Mass per weekend, with the archbishop’s permission.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
William Warham, the archbishop of Canterbury, called for more copies to be bought up and burned.

— Michael Bruening, The Conversation, 30 June 2026

Definition of archbishop

Noun

Weinberger was three grades ahead of the pope, who was then an altar boy with Weinberger’s brother.

— Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026
Recent reporting suggests Thiel has extended the argument to Pope Leo XIV directly, framing the current pope’s openness to AI regulation as making him—unwittingly—a vehicle for the same dynamic.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 July 2026

Definition of pope

Noun

The court found that Shi used his positions, including as the temple abbot, to illegally embezzle more than $19 million alone or in conspiracy with others, between 2003 and 2025, CCTV reported.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
According to a relative of Nathan who provided some of the sources Amit studied, the abbot reportedly also wrote letters to the Vatican and to monasteries in Switzerland pleading for a safe exit for Wolfgang.

— Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 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

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley Law (ACLU Presidential Prize); and Elizabeth Foster, a South Carolina advocate for the freedom to read (the also-new ACLU Next Generation Leader in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties award).

— Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 25 July 2026
Florida International University’s incoming interim law school dean wasn’t just passed over as a finalist during the university’s national search.

— Austin Horn July 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 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

Noun

Movie law conveniently parlays their lengthy sentence into a week’s work at the cheery, picturesque Burning Bush Camp, where supervising pastor Tom (Chris Klein) sportingly overlooks their dubious childcare creds and eccentric prayer style.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 July 2026
Jeremy Klein, a 51-year-old pastor in Ohio who lost his sense of smell from COVID in May 2025, participated in one of Zhao’s trials.

— Hannah Docter-Loeb, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

Definition of pastor

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“Bishop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bishop. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of bishop

noun

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