English Reference

Word

diocesan

Phoneticsdioce·san

US/daɪˈɑsəsən/

UK/dɪˈəʊssən/

Definition

adj. relating to a diocese, which is a specific area of a country or city that a bishop is in charge of.

adj. relating to a diocese or the jurisdiction of a bishop. Often used to describe administrative or ecclesiastical matters within a specific geographical area.

Examples

“The diocesan office handles all local church matters.”

“The diocesan council met to discuss the new community outreach program for the local parish.”

“While the national synod sets broad policy, the diocesan assembly is responsible for implementing those guidelines within the specific cultural and social context of the region.”

Examples

simple

“The diocesan office handles all local church matters.”

contextual

“The diocesan council met to discuss the new community outreach program for the local parish.”

complex

“While the national synod sets broad policy, the diocesan assembly is responsible for implementing those guidelines within the specific cultural and social context of the region.”

Real-World Examples

“The IEU NSW/ACT branch secretary, Carol Matthews, said close scrutiny of public funding “was not applied to organisations such as Catholic Schools NSW that receive funding on behalf of Catholic diocesan schools”.”
The Guardian · 14 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Middle French diocesain.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

diocesanAdjectivedioceseNoun

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/diocesan

English Reference