archbishop
n.-
1 religious leader (n.) C1 Advanced Formal Religiona senior priest of high rank who is in charge of a large area in churches like the Catholic or Anglican church.
a senior bishop who governs an archdiocese and typically presides over a province of several dioceses.
ExampleThe archbishop led the special service at the cathedral on Easter Sunday.
ExampleThe archbishop issued a formal statement addressing the ethical concerns raised by the new legislation, speaking on behalf of the entire province.
UsageCapitalised as a title before a name, such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Teacher's tipWhile 'bishop' is B1/B2 level, 'archbishop' is rarer and usually appears in news or historical contexts.
- prelate
- metropolitan
From Middle English erchebischop, archebischop, from Old English arċebisċop (“archbishop”), from Late Latin or Ecclesiastical Latin archiepiscopus, from Ancient Greek ἀρχιεπίσκοπος (arkhiepískopos), from ἀρχι- (arkhi-, “first, chief”) + ἐπίσκοπος (epískopos, “overseer”), from ἐπισκοπέω (episkopéō, “to watch over”), from ἐπί (epí, “over”) + σκοπέω (skopéō, “to examine”), equivalent to arch- + bishop.