1. A system of church government in which bishops hold the chief authority.
Usage: Common in Christian denominations such as the Anglican Church and Roman Catholic Church.
2. The office, rank, or tenure of a bishop.

Examples

• The Anglican Church is organized under episcopacy, with bishops overseeing dioceses.
• She studied the history of episcopacy in medieval Europe.
• Episcopacy has been a defining feature of Catholic church structure for centuries.
• The denomination debated whether to maintain episcopacy or adopt a more democratic governance model.
• His elevation to episcopacy came after decades of service as a priest.
• Different Protestant traditions have varying views on the necessity of episcopacy.