episcopate

/ɪˈpɪskəpət/
noun
  1. The office, rank, or term of service of a bishop.
    • He was elected to the episcopate after serving as a priest for twenty years.
    • The responsibilities of the episcopate include ordaining new clergy.
    • Her episcopate lasted for over three decades, during which she oversaw many new churches.
  2. All the bishops of a church or region considered as a group.
    • The entire episcopate gathered for the annual conference.
    • The Anglican episcopate includes bishops from many different countries.
    • The episcopate issued a joint statement on social justice.
Synonyms
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