What does "diocese" mean?

1. (church district) the area or group of churches that a bishop is in charge of. 2. (Roman administrative unit) a large district used for governing the Roman Empire in ancient times.

How do you use "diocese"?

Often used with the definite article 'the' when referring to a specific local district.

diocese

US //ˈdaɪəˌsiz// UK //dɪəʊsˈiːz// dio·cese

1 church district (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal Religion

the area or group of churches that a bishop is in charge of.

a territorial unit of church administration under the spiritual and jurisdictional care of a bishop.

Example

The local diocese organized a food drive to help families in the city.

Example

The archbishop visited every parish within the diocese to discuss the new educational initiatives and community outreach programmes.

Usage

Often used with the definite article 'the' when referring to a specific local district.
- bishopric
- see
2 Roman administrative unit (n.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic Technical

a large district used for governing the Roman Empire in ancient times.

a major administrative division of the later Roman Empire, typically consisting of several provinces.

Example

In ancient Rome, a diocese was a large area managed by a high official.

Example

Under the reforms of Diocletian, the empire was partitioned into several dioceses to streamline tax collection and military administration.

Teacher's tip

This sense is strictly historical; in modern English, the word almost exclusively refers to church geography.

Origin

From Middle English diocise, from Old French diocese, from Late Latin diocēsis, from Latin dioecēsis (“district under a governor”), from Ancient Greek διοίκησις (dioíkēsis, “internal administration”).