vicar-general
noun pl. vicars-general
- an administrative deputy, as of a bishop or of the general superior of a religious order, society, etc.
- in English history, the title given to Thomas Cromwell as vicegerent of Henry VIII
See vicar-general in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun pl. vicars general - Roman Catholic Church
a. A priest acting as deputy to a bishop to assist him in the administration of his diocese.
b. The head of a religious order.
- An ecclesiastical official in the Church of England, usually a layperson, who assists an archbishop or a bishop in administrative and judicial duties.
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