Dictionary
e•pis•co•pal•ism
Pronunciation: (i-pis'ku-pu-liz"um), [key]—
n.
the theory of church polity according to which the supreme ecclesiastical authority is vested in the episcopal order as a whole, and not in any individual except by delegation.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.