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Definition of "prelacy" [prel•a•cy]

  • The office or station of a prelate. (noun)
  • Prelates considered as a group. Also called prelature. (noun)
  • Church government administrated by prelates. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "prelacy" in a sentence
  • "_ If it be yet objected, that the members of parliament have, at one time or other, sworn to preserve the laws; and therefore to swear to endeavour the extirpation of prelacy, which is established by law, is to contradict their own oath and run the hazard of perjury: it is easy for any one to observe and answer."
  • "It is this prelacy, thus clothed, thus circumstanced, which we swear to extirpate; read else the clause again, prelacy, that is, church government by archbishops, bishops, their chancellors."
  • "And it is very well known that the government of bishops is not according to the Word of God, but contrar to it, and likeways contrar the second article of the Solemn League whereby we are obliged to the extirpation of prelacy, that is, church government by archbishops, bishops, &c., which we will be obliged by such an oath to maintain and defend."