Definition

A church official who helps a bishop with administrative tasks and ceremonies in a specific area called a diocese.

Example

The archdeacon organized the annual church festival and ensured everything ran smoothly.

Conversation

Have you ever met an archdeacon before?

No, I haven’t! What do they do exactly?

They assist the bishop with various church duties and ceremonies.

That sounds interesting! I’d love to learn more about their role.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Archdeacon → It is formed from "arch-" (from Greek "archi-", meaning chief or principal) and "deacon" (from Old French "diacon", derived from Latin "diaconus", meaning servant or minister). The term refers to a chief deacon, a senior clerical position in the church hierarchy.

Memory Tip

Think of 'arch-' meaning chief and 'deacon' meaning servant — together, they describe a chief servant in the church.

Visually Confused Words