holy synod

American

noun

Eastern Church.

the governing council of an autocephalous church, composed of bishops and presided over by the patriarch or another prelate.

holy synod British

noun

the governing body of any of the Orthodox Churches

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of holy synod

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He was investigated by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and last December he was retired from his position as head of the Budapest diocese and transferred to the Church in the Czech city of Karlovy Vary.

From BBC

The governing Holy Synod of senior bishops sent letters to all lawmakers outlining its objections.

From Seattle Times

Metropolitan Bishop Panteleimon, a spokesman for the Greek Church’s governing Holy Synod, said that its written objections would be sent to all members of Greece’s parliament and read out at Sunday services around the country on Feb. 4.

From Seattle Times

Having read chemistry in Greece and Britain and later taught at high schools, Georgios was elected by a majority on the 16-member Holy Synod.

From Reuters

The process will go to a runoff, with the successor to Chrysostomos selected by the Holy Synod, the Church ruling body, from among the three clerics who get the highest number of votes on Sunday.

From Reuters

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023