Standard Lemma guide

archdeacon

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A senior administrative official in a diocese, just under the bishop, often in charge of an archdeaconry. As a title, it can be filled by either a deacon or priest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: Anglicanism; Eastern Orthodoxy; Anglicanism; Eastern Orthodoxy

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

(Anglican Church) an ecclesiastical dignitary usually ranking just below a bishop

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clergyman, reverend, man of the cloth

History

Etymology

From Middle English arcedekne, archdecon, archdekne, archdekyn, archedeken, archedekyn, archedyacun, archideken, archidiacon, ardekne, ercedekene, ercedekne, erchdekene, erchedekene, erchedekne, erresdeken, ersedekne, ersedekyn, from Old English ærcedæcne, ærcediæcne, earcedæcne (from Late Latin archidiāconus) and Old French arc(h)ediacne.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: ardiaca — administrative official in a diocese
  • Catalan: arxidiaca — administrative official in a diocese
  • Esperanto: arkidiakono — administrative official in a diocese
  • Esperanto: ĉefdiakono — administrative official in a diocese
  • Finnish: arkkidiakoni — administrative official in a diocese
  • French: archidiacre — administrative official in a diocese
  • German: Archidiakon — administrative official in a diocese
  • Ido: arkidiakono — administrative official in a diocese
  • Irish: ard-deagánach — administrative official in a diocese
  • Italian: arcidiacono — administrative official in a diocese
  • Macedonian: архиѓа́кон (arhiǵákon) — administrative official in a diocese
  • Māori: ātirīkona — administrative official in a diocese
  • Polish: archidiakon — administrative official in a diocese
  • Portuguese: arquidiácono — administrative official in a diocese
  • Portuguese: arcediago — administrative official in a diocese
  • Romanian: arhidiacon — administrative official in a diocese
  • Russian: архидья́кон (arxidʹjákon) — administrative official in a diocese
  • Spanish: arcediano — administrative official in a diocese
  • Spanish: archidiácono — administrative official in a diocese
Real reading context

archdeacon in complete knowledge articles