diocese
DY-uh-sis
/ˈdaɪəsɪs/
A district under the pastoral care of a bishop in the Christian Church.
It is a geographical and administrative unit, similar to a county or province in secular government.
The story behind the word. From the Greek 'dioikein', meaning 'to keep house' or 'to manage'. In the Roman Empire, a 'diocese' was a large administrative district. The church later adopted this term for its own territorial divisions.
Word relationships
- see: A 'see' (as in 'Holy See') refers more to the seat of authority or the office of the bishop, while diocese is the physical district.
Commonly confused with
- parish: A parish is a small local area with one church; a diocese is a large area containing many parishes.
Word family
- diocesan (adjective): Relating to a diocese.
Collocations
- local diocese
- diocesan bishop
- within the diocese
Example sentences
- "The bishop oversaw more than fifty individual parishes within his diocese." Administrative change.
- "The diocese of Canterbury is one of the oldest and most influential in England." Geographical description.
Memory hook
A DIOCESE is a DISTRICT for a bishop. The bishop's district.
When not to use
Do not use for the building itself (that's a cathedral or church); use it for the entire region.
Fun facts
- The Roman Emperor Diocletian (whose name sounds similar) was the one who reorganized the Empire into the original administrative 'dioceses'.
Related words
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