episcopal

1 of 2

adjective

epis·​co·​pal i-ˈpi-skə-pəl 

-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

i-ˈpi-skə-p(ə-)lē 

adverb

Episcopal

2 of 2

noun

: episcopalian

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

Noun

Listen to this article San Diego police detectives are investigating after parishioners at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral arrived for services Sunday morning to find profane language spraypainted on the church’s walls and doors. —Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025

The two wed in Palm Beach, Florida, at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-By-the-Sea. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025

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

Kids Definition

episcopal

adjective

epis·​co·​pal i-ˈpis-kə-pəl 

1

: of or relating to a bishop or episcopacy

2

capitalized : of or relating to the Protestant Episcopal Church

episcopally

-p(ə-)lē 

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