Archepiscopal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to or characteristic of an archbishop, especially in matters of rank or authority
2. Connected with the office or duties of an archbishop in the church hierarchy
3. Describing something associated with the position or functions of an archbishop

Etymology: "Archiepiscopal" combines "archi-," the Greek prefix meaning "chief" or "principal," with "episcopal," from the Latin "episcopalis," which belongs to a bishop. The root "episcopus" goes back to Greek "episkopos," literally "overseer," from "epi-" ("over") and "skopos" ("watcher"). An archbishop was thus a chief overseer, and the adjective describes anything relating to that office. The spelling "archepiscopal," which drops the "i" from the middle of the word, is an alternate form of the same adjective, with the same meaning and the same history.

Synonyms: archiepiscopal