diocese
- 01 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“The local diocese organized a food drive to help families in the city.”
In context“The archbishop visited every parish within the diocese to discuss the new educational initiatives and community outreach programmes.”
UsageOften used with the definite article 'the' when referring to a specific local district.
Synonymsbishopricsee - 02 C2 Proficiency
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.
Simple“In ancient Rome, a diocese was a large area managed by a high official.”
In context“Under the reforms of Diocletian, the empire was partitioned into several dioceses to streamline tax collection and military administration.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is strictly historical; in modern English, the word almost exclusively refers to church geography.
“The diocese of the nearby municipality of Atlacomulco said two priests were injured but are expected to survive.”
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.