What does episcopal mean?
Episcopal is a formal adjective meaning of or pertaining to a bishop or bishops. It most often appears in discussions of church structure, where it describes systems of governance in which authority rests with bishops — as distinct from presbyterian rule by elders or congregationalist self-government. The lowercase form covers any reference to episcopal sees, episcopal appointments, or episcopal authority within Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglican traditions alike. Capitalized, 'Episcopal' identifies a specific branch: the Episcopal Church, the United States member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, whose members are known as Episcopalians. The word derives ultimately from the Greek episkopos, meaning 'overseer', which also gave English the noun 'bishop'. Because it belongs chiefly to ecclesiastical vocabulary, it rarely appears in everyday conversation, but it is indispensable in religious history, canon law, and reporting on church affairs.
adjectiveRelating to a bishop or bishops, or to church governance by bishops. Often capitalized when referring to the Episcopal Church, an Anglican denomination in the United States.
- Relating to a bishop or bishops, or to church government administered by bishops.
- (Capitalized) Of or relating to the Episcopal Church in the United States or other Anglican bodies so designated.
"The cathedral hosted the annual episcopal conference, drawing bishops from across the province."
"The diocese awaited word from Rome regarding its new episcopal appointment."
"She grew up in the Episcopal tradition but now attends a non-denominational congregation."
Every English 'bishop' is hiding inside this word — it descends from Greek episkopos, literally an 'overseer' who watched over the flock.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of episcopal
Episcopal traces to the Greek episkopos, meaning 'overseer' or 'watcher', formed from epi- ('over') and skopein ('to look'). Latin adopted the term as episcopus, which passed into Old English as 'bisceop', giving modern English 'bishop'. The adjective entered English via Late Latin episcopalis in the early seventeenth century, alongside related forms such as episcopacy and episcopate.
Related word forms
How episcopal is actually used
Lowercase 'episcopal' is the general adjective for anything bishop-related; capitalized 'Episcopal' specifically denotes Anglican churches, especially the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. The register is formal and largely confined to religious, historical, and academic contexts.
Easily confused with episcopal
'Episcopal' relates to bishops and church governance, while 'episodic' describes something occurring in scattered or irregular episodes.