hierarch
Plural: hierarchs
Noun
- A chief ruler or religious leader.
- a person who holds a high position in a hierarchy
- a senior clergyman and dignitary
- One who has high and controlling authority in sacred things; the chief of a sacred order.
- A title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (arbiters of canon law) over their respective dioceses.
Examples
- The Scrabble club’s HIERARCH decreed that no challenges would be tolerated today.
Origin / Etymology
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).
Synonyms
archpriest, high priest, prelate, primate, ordinary
Scrabble Score: 16
hierarch: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordhierarch: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
hierarch: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary