Definition

1. Noun:
   • The office, rank, or term of office of a bishop: "Episcopate" refers to the position, dignity, or the period during which a person serves as a bishop.
   • The collective body of bishops: "Episcopate" can also refer to bishops as a group, especially within a specific region or church.
   • The territorial jurisdiction of a bishop: In some contexts, it denotes the diocese or area over which a bishop has authority.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He was appointed to the episcopate last year. (This refers to his appointment to the office of bishop.)
  • The national episcopate issued a joint statement on the matter. (This refers to the collective body of bishops.)
  • The episcopate of that diocese spans three counties. (This refers to the territorial jurisdiction.)
  • His episcopate was marked by significant reforms. (This refers to his term of office as bishop.)

Advanced Usage

• "To enter the episcopate": to become a bishop, to be consecrated as a bishop.
  • After decades as a priest, he entered the episcopate.
• "During one's episcopate": throughout the time one serves as a bishop.
  • Many churches were built during his episcopate.

Variants and Related Words

• Episcopal (adj): of or relating to a bishop or bishops.
  • The episcopal palace is next to the cathedral.
• Episcopacy (n): another term for the system of church government by bishops, or the collective body of bishops.
  • The church adheres to the principle of episcopacy.

Synonyms

• Bishopric: the office or diocese of a bishop (often used interchangeably with one meaning of "episcopate").
• Diocese: the district under the pastoral care of a bishop (a synonym for the territorial jurisdiction meaning).

Related Phrases

(Note: "Episcopate" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verbs. The related phrases are fixed noun phrases.) - College of Bishops: a formal term for the collective body of bishops, similar to one meaning of "episcopate".

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms that use the exact word "episcopate.")

Noun

1. the office and dignity of a bishop
2. the collective body of bishops
3. the territorial jurisdiction of a bishop
4. the term of office of a bishop