diocese
UK: ˈdaɪ.ə.sɪs | US: ˈdaɪ.ə.sɪs
n. a district under the pastoral care of a bishop in the Christian Church
The word diocese traces back to Greek dioikēsis, originally referring to an administrative division in the Roman Empire. It entered Late Latin as diocesis, denoting a bishop’s jurisdiction in early Christianity. The term retained its core meaning of a territorial unit under ecclesiastical authority, evolving into Middle English diocise before standardizing as diocese. The morpheme dio- reflects governance, while -cese marks it as an administrative domain.
The bishop oversees all parishes within his diocese.
The diocese was established in the 12th century.
She works for the charitable foundation of the local diocese.
The diocese covers three counties in the region.
A new cathedral was built to serve the growing diocese.