episcopal

1 of 2

adjective

epis·​co·​pal i-ˈpi-skə-pəl How to pronounce episcopal (audio)
-bəl
1
: of or relating to a bishop
2
: of, having, or constituting government by bishops
3
capitalized : of or relating to the Protestant Episcopal Church representing the Anglican communion in the U.S.
episcopally adverb

Episcopal

2 of 2

noun

Examples of episcopal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The lime-green Met Gala look, May 2018 Photography Shutterstock Miuccia wasn’t about episcopal tailoring or a gilded colour palette for 2018’s Met Gala, themed Heavenly Bodies and the Catholic Imagination. Julia Hobbs, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2024 Congregations have been disaffiliating by vote in individual episcopal area conferences, and more than 4,000 congregations have already disaffiliated under the law, including 71 previously in Kentucky. Caleb Wiegandt, The Courier-Journal, 5 June 2023 By leaving the episcopal ring on Archinto’s finger outside the curtain, Titian emphasizes his right to the position. Washington Post, 20 July 2023 Congregations also disaffiliate by vote in individual episcopal area conferences. Caleb Wiegandt, The Courier-Journal, 7 June 2023 Established and state-regulated by the late fourth century, Christian sanctuary was based in episcopal intercession and penitential discipline; it was intended to spare the body the worst consequences of crime and thereby to save the soul from the everlasting implications of sin. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, The New York Review of Books, 3 Nov. 2020 While Barron's episcopal office concerns his parishes in Minnesota — where he is already widely known — his public influence stretches around the world via his books, videos, radio shows and documentaries with his Word on Fire ministries. Fox News, 28 Aug. 2022 Whitehead got out of the car, wearing a Fendi blazer and a large episcopal ruby ring. Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2023 These prohibitions weren’t very effective; a thousand years later, astrologers were active at the papal and episcopal courts, and within the entourages of numerous Christian rulers. Andrew Cockburn, Harper’s Magazine , 6 Jan. 2023
Noun
He's attended various children's programs at his church, St. Barnabas Episcopal in Irvington. Nancy Cutler, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Haley gained national recognition for her response to a racist 2015 shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston that killed nine Black churchgoers. Jeongyoon Han, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Almost immediately Simpson got involved with the city’s burgeoning Civil Rights Movement and befriended Theodore Gibson, the rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Coconut Grove and one of the Black community’s leading activists at the time. C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church occupies a creaky nineteenth-century sanctuary—and a singular position in the history of the Black freedom struggle. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The Broadway Temple synagogue was at Sixth and Broadway before the congregation moved to Mound Street, and the building was sold to the Allen Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 The organist will be Kurt Knecht, the organist for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Patrick Neas, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024 The Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal High School senior repeated as the Texas Prep State boys champion during an event held on Feb. 3 in San Antonio. Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024 The vigil at All Saints Episcopal Church in McAlester was organized by the McAlester Rainbow Connection. Ken Miller The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'episcopal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Late Latin episcopalis, from episcopus bishop — more at bishop

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1752, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of episcopal was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near episcopal

Cite this Entry

“Episcopal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/episcopal. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

episcopal

adjective
epis·​co·​pal i-ˈpis-kə-pəl How to pronounce episcopal (audio)
1
: of or relating to a bishop or episcopacy
2
capitalized : of or relating to the Protestant Episcopal Church
episcopally adverb
Etymology

Adjective

derived from Latin episcopus "bishop," from Greek episkopos, literally, "overseer," from epi- "over" and skopos "watcher, goal, object" — related to bishop, horoscope, scope see Word History at bishop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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