transferred. Formerly applied to: A chief priest of any religion; e.g. a chief priest or High Priest of the Jews, a Roman pontiff (‘high’ or…

A cleric of high rank and authority, as a bishop, archbishop, or the superior of a religious house or order.

A person who has the chief authority in any society or group; a ruler, commander, governor; (also) a tribal chief or ruler. Cf. duke, n. 1c.

The chief priest of a religion or religious group, esp. the chief priest of the ancient Jewish temple (cf. priest, n. 2b); (also) any high-ranking…

A company or group of (esp. ecclesiastical) dignitaries. Cf. pontificality, n. 2. Obsolete.

a high-ranking ecclesiastical dignitary.

gentleman untrial: (see quot. 1486).

transferred. A person holding a high office or position; a dignitary.

A person resembling the Jewish high priest Aaron, esp. a high priest, a leader.

One who has rule or authority in holy things; an ecclesiastical ruler or potentate; a chief priest; a chief prelate, an archbishop.

A bishop, a prelate.

Chiefly with capital initial. An honorific title of, or form of address to, a Roman Catholic of ecclesiastical rank, as a prelate, archbishop…

Any person having authority in the Christian church, or a particular denomination of it; spec. (in certain Reformed Churches) a lay or ruling elder…

A chief or high priest of any religion. Also figurative.

Used to translate Latin Pontifex maximus.

Roman Catholic Church = monsignor, n. Obsolete (but cf. form monsigneur at monsignor, n. 1).

A churchman holding this status; a person entitled to be addressed as ‘Monsignor’.

The head of a Muslim religious order or community; a great religious doctor or preacher; now esp. a saint having a local cultus.

A chief priest.

In the Syrian Orthodox Church and the Church of the East: a saint or a member of the higher clergy (used as an honorific title).

Eminence, distinguished position.

A chief ruler; (in extended use) any leader.

= pontiff, n. 2.

Chiefly derogatory. An adherent of prelacy (prelacy, n. 4); a prelate. Usually in plural. Obsolete.

One invested with a dignity; a personage holding high rank or office, esp. ecclesiastical.

Historical. An official expounder of sacred mysteries or religious ceremonies, esp. in ancient Greece; an initiating or presiding priest.

= monsignor, n. 1.

A ruler of the church.

As a prefixed title: Monsignor (monsignor, n.) (Roman Catholic Church); (also) Monseigneur (monseigneur, n. 1a).

As a prefixed title: Monsignor. Cf. monsignor, n., Mgr, n.1

Christian Church. The bishop of any of the chief sees of the ancient world, having some jurisdiction over other bishops in the patriarchate (the…