Episcopacy

  • 1episcopacy — ► NOUN (pl. episcopacies) 1) government of a Church by bishops. 2) (the episcopacy) the bishops of a region or church collectively …

    English terms dictionary

  • 2Episcopacy — E*pis co*pa*cy, n. [See {Episcopate}.] Government of the church by bishops; church government by three distinct orders of ministers bishops, priests, and deacons of whom the bishops have an authority superior and of a different kind. [1913… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3episcopacy — 1640s; see EPISCOPAL (Cf. episcopal) + CY (Cf. cy) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4episcopacy — [ē pis′kə pə sē, ipis′kə pə sē] n. pl. episcopacies [< LL(Ec) episcopatus, office of a bishop < episcopus, BISHOP] 1. the system of church government by bishops 2. EPISCOPATE …

    English World dictionary

  • 5episcopacy — /i pis keuh peuh see/, n., pl. episcopacies. 1. government of the church by bishops; church government in which there are three distinct orders of ministers, namely bishops, priests or presbyters, and deacons. 2. episcopate. [1640 50;… …

    Universalium

  • 6Episcopacy —    The name given to that form of Church government in which Bishops are the Chief Pastors with Priests and Deacons under them. The word is derived from the Greek Episcopos, meaning overseer; Bishop being the Anglicized form of the Greek word.… …

    American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  • 7episcopacy — UK [ɪˈpɪskəpəsɪ] / US noun Word forms episcopacy : singular episcopacy plural episcopacies a) [uncountable] a system of governing a church by bishops b) [countable] the bishops of a church …

    English dictionary

  • 8episcopacy — [ɪ pɪskəpəsi, ɛ ] noun (plural episcopacies) government of a Church by bishops. ↘(the episcopacy) the bishops of a region or church collectively. Origin C17: from eccles. L. episcopatus episcopate …

    English new terms dictionary

  • 9episcopacy — noun (plural cies) Date: 1647 1. government of the church by bishops or by a hierarchy 2. episcopate …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 10episcopacy — noun a) Government of the church by bishops. b) bishops collectively; episcopate …

    Wiktionary