abbot nullius
noun
abbot nul·li·us
-nu̇ˈlēəs
plural abbots nullius
: an abbot who is exempt from diocesan control and under direct papal jurisdiction and who exercises the authority of an ordinary within the district in which his abbey is situated
Word History
Etymology
partial translation of New Latin abbas nullius, short for abbas nullius dioecesis, "abbot of no diocese"
First Known Use
1877, in the meaning defined above