[ad. L. episcopātus, f. episcopus bishop.]
1. The office or dignity of a bishop.
1641. Heywood, Priest, Judge, & P., 1. The late firme scite of our Episcopate.
1760. Arnald, Comm. Bk. Wisdom (ed. 2), Ded. p. v. (T.). These great Qualities, at length, conducted you so deservedly to the Episcopate.
1782. Priestley, Corrupt. Chr., II. x. 251. [They] endeavoured to make the episcopate … a higher degree.
1833. Cruse, Eusebius, VI. xxx. 249. Honoured with the episcopate in the churches of Pontus.
2. An episcopal see, a bishopric.
1807. G. Chalmers, Caledonia, I. III. v. 357. Bede, who gave the history of that episcopate.
1847. Disraeli, Tancred, I. II. v. 154. The Church Temporalities’ Bill, in 1833 … suppressed ten Irish episcopates.
1861. Stanley, East. Ch., vii. (1869), 227. The Episcopate of Egypt had but a doubtful existence in early times.
3. The period during which a bishop holds office.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. ix. 416. In the third year of his episcopate he was driven out.
1885. Manch. Courier, 16 June, 4/7. That was the 123rd church he had consecrated during the 15 years of his episcopate.
4. The bishops regarded as a collective body.
1842. Pusey, Crisis Eng. Ch., 140. First as to the Episcopate, the Evangelic Bishops in Germany are a creation of the state.
1859. Lit. Churchm., V. 117/2. The Committee advise the increase of the Episcopate.
1865. Maffei, Brigand Life, II. 98. The instructions to the Neapolitan episcopate.
