Episcopacy
/ɪˈpɪskəpi/noun
The system, office, or government of bishops in a church.
Did you know?Episcopacy comes from Greek episkopos, literally a “watcher” or “overseer,” a word built from the same root that gave English scope and skeptic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spek-
“to observe, inspect, look out”
Ancient Greek
Greek
epískopos
“an overseer, watcher, guardian”
Late Latin
Latin
episcopus
“a bishop”
Old French
Old French
evesque / eveschie
“bishop / bishopric”
Middle English
English
episcopacie
“the office or jurisdiction of a bishop”
Modern English
English
episcopacy
“the system of church government by bishops”