diocese

noun

di·​o·​cese ˈdī-ə-səs 

-ˌsēs,

-ˌsēz

plural dioceses ˈdī-ə-sə-səz 

-ˌsē-zəz,

 nonstandard  ˈdī-ə-ˌsēz

: the territorial jurisdiction of a bishop

diocesan

dī-ˈä-sə-sən 

 also  ˈdī-ə-ˌsē-sᵊn

adjective

Examples of diocese in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rather, Budde is bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, according to the diocese’s website. —Brieanna J. Frank, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025

Harris was the school’s vice principal at the time, according to the diocese. —Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024

Upon Salvador-Velazquez making it to the Phoenix diocese eight years ago, La Virgen was waiting for her there too. —Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 12 Dec. 2024

The $1 million transfer violated investment policies and protocols, the diocese said. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English diocise, dyoces, borrowed from Anglo-French diocise, dyocés, borrowed from Late Latin diocēsis, dioecēsis "administrative district, province, group of provinces (in the later Roman Empire), jurisdiction of a bishop" (Latin, "administrative district"), borrowed from Late Greek dioíkēsis "administration, control, ordering, civil or ecclesiastical group of provinces, jurisdiction of a bishop," going back to Greek, "management, administration," from dioikē-, variant stem of dioikéō, dioikeîn "to control, manage, look after" (from di- di- + oikeîn "to live, have one's home, order, govern," derivative of oîkos "house, home") + -sis -sis — more at vicinity

Note: In early Modern English diocise, passed on from Middle English, competed unsuccessfully with the Latin/French-influenced forms diocess and diocese. The variant diocess was predominant in the eighteenth century and is the only form entered in Samuel Johnson's dictionary (1755). The situation had changed, at least in the U.S., by the early nineteenth century: Noah Webster, in his American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), enters only diocese, and regards diocess as "a very erroneous orthography."

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

diocese

noun

di·​o·​cese ˈdī-ə-səs 

-ˌsēz,

-ˌsēs

plural dioceses ˈdī-ə-ˌsēz 

-ˌsē-zēz,

-sə-səz

: the district over which a bishop has authority