archbishop

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a senior Christian bishop who leads an archdiocese or presides over a province of dioceses

   The archbishop addressed clergy from every diocese in the province.

Simplified etymology

Archbishop is recorded in Old English. Its prefix arch-, meaning “chief” or “principal,” comes ultimately from Greek arkhos, “chief” or “ruler,” and marks the bishop as one of superior rank.

From Middle English archebischop and Old English arcebiscop, ultimately from Ecclesiastical Latin archiepiscopus and Greek arkhiepiskopos. It combines arkhi-, 'chief or first,' with episkopos, 'overseer,' the source of bishop. The compound therefore literally denotes a chief bishop.

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