Meanings
plural hierarchs
- lifestyleOne who has high and controlling authority in sacred things; the chief of a sacred order.
Synonyms: ordinary
- Eastern OrthodoxyA title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (arbiters of canon law) over their respective dioceses.
The law states that the local ordinary can give to any Catholic priest the faculty to bless the marriages of non-Catholic Eastern Christians if the faithful voluntarily ask for it and the priest prudently informs the appropriate hierarch.
2016 October 11, Peter Jesserer Smith, “Pope’s Canon-Law Change Strengthens East and West”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), National Catholic RegisterSynonyms: ordinary
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne who has high and controlling authority in sacred things; the chief of a sacred order.
nounA title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (arbiters of canon law) over their respective dioceses.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*ish₁ros
- Proto-Hellenic*iherós
- Ancient Greekἱεράρχης
- Medieval Latinhierarcha
- Englishhierarch
From Medieval Latin hierarcha, from Ancient Greek ἱεράρχης (hierárkhēs) Derived from ἱερός (hierós, “holy”) + -άρχης (-árkhēs, “ruler”, “leader”). ἱερός from Proto-Hellenic *iherós, from Proto-Indo-European *ish₁ros. There are a number of candidate cognates with this word. Compare Sanskrit इषिर (iṣira, “vigorous, fresh, blooming”) and Oscan 𐌀𐌉𐌔𐌖𐌔𐌉𐌔 (aisusis).
More words from Medieval Latin, Ancient Greek, Proto-Hellenic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἱεράρχης, ἱεράρχης
- ἱεράρχης (hierárkhēs)one who has high and controlling authority in sacred things
- ἱεράρχης (hierárkhēs)a title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (Eastern Orthodoxy)
Bulgarian йерарх
- йерарх (jerarh)one who has high and controlling authority in sacred things
German Hierarch
- Hierarcha title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (Eastern Orthodoxy)
Greek ιεράρχης, ιεράρχης
- ιεράρχης (ierárchis)one who has high and controlling authority in sacred things
- ιεράρχης (ierárchis)a title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (Eastern Orthodoxy)
Latin hierarcha, hierarcha
- hierarchaone who has high and controlling authority in sacred things
- hierarchaa title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (Eastern Orthodoxy)
Lithuanian hierarchas
- hierarchasone who has high and controlling authority in sacred things
Romanian ierarh
- ierarha title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (Eastern Orthodoxy)
Russian иера́рх, иера́рх
- иера́рх (ijerárx)one who has high and controlling authority in sacred things
- иера́рх (ijerárx)a title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (Eastern Orthodoxy)
Cite this entry
hierarch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hierarch
“hierarch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hierarch. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hierarch,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hierarch.
Source: hierarch on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.