Monsignors

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A title of honor in the Roman Catholic Church given to certain prelates or priests distinguished for their service or rank
2. Referring to clergy members who have been recognized for their contributions and are granted the honorific title
3. A designation for certain high-ranking members of the clergy, specifically in the Catholic hierarchy, often involving specific privileges and responsibilities

Etymology: "Monsignors" is the plural of "monsignor," a title for senior Catholic clergy. The singular form is a compression of Italian "monsignore," which combines "mon," a contraction of "mio" ("my"), with "signore" ("lord" or "sir"). Its literal sense is "my lord," the same courtesy that the Italian "signore" gives any gentleman. The title was shaped by French as well. "Monseigneur," the Middle French form of "my lord," was used for high-ranking nobles and prelates, and Italian and French borrowed the same courtesy form in parallel. Because the two words developed from the same source, "monsignor" is a doublet of "monseigneur" and of "monsieur," which was once the ordinary French term of address before it came to mean simply "Mr." in English.

Synonyms: monsignor