Standard Lemma guide

autocephalous

adj · 3 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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  • /ɔːtə(ʊ)ˈsɛfələs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Fully independent of the authority of any other church.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, usually

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Presiding over an autocephalous church.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, usually

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Independent; not governed by others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: comparable, not-comparable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: self-determined, self-directed, self-governing

Antonyms: heterocephalous

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek αὐτοκέφαλος (autoképhalos), from αὐτο- (auto-, “self-”) + κεφαλή (kephalḗ, “head”). By surface analysis, auto- + -cephalous.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ինքնագլուխ (inkʻnaglux) — (of a church) independent
  • Armenian: ավտոկեֆալ (avtokefal) — (of a church) independent
  • Belarusian: аўтакефа́льны (awtakjefálʹny) — (of a church) independent
  • Bulgarian: автокефа́лен (avtokefálen) — (of a church) independent
  • Catalan: autocèfale — (of a church) independent
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自主 (zìzhǔ) — (of a church) independent
  • Czech: autokefalní — (of a church) independent
  • Danish: autokefal — (of a church) independent
  • Finnish: autokefaalinen — (of a church) independent
  • French: autocéphale — (of a church) independent
  • Georgian: ავტოკეფალიური (avṭoḳepaliuri) — (of a church) independent
  • Georgian: ავტოკეფალური (avṭoḳepaluri) — (of a church) independent
  • German: autokephal — (of a church) independent
  • Greek: αυτοκέφαλος (aftokéfalos) — (of a church) independent
  • Italian: autocefalo — (of a church) independent
  • Latin: autocephalus — (of a church) independent
  • Norwegian Bokmål: autokefal — (of a church) independent
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: autokefal — (of a church) independent
  • Polish: autokefaliczny — (of a church) independent
  • Portuguese: autocéfalo — (of a church) independent
  • Romanian: autocefal — (of a church) independent
  • Russian: автокефа́льный (avtokefálʹnyj) — (of a church) independent
  • Slovak: autokefálny — (of a church) independent
  • Spanish: autocéfalo — (of a church) independent
  • Swedish: autokefal — (of a church) independent
  • Ukrainian: автокефа́льний (avtokefálʹnyj) — (of a church) independent
  • Welsh: hunanbenaethol — (of a church) independent