Words / B2

k-uh-THEEDR-uh-l/kəˈθiːdrəl/

A cathedral is the principal church of a diocese, where a bishop has their seat: a medieval cathedral; cathedral city. A church is any Christian building (already in the dictionary); an abbey is a monastery church. Date the cathedral in the medieval enquiry. Mix-up: catholic as an adjective of the Church; cattle. Do not call every large church a cathedral unless the source does.

Meaning

The principal church of a diocese, where a bishop has their seat.

Examples

• “Date the cathedral in the medieval enquiry, not a postcard caption.”
• “A cathedral city featured in the settlement hierarchy, which is the urban-status sense.”

Good to know

a cathedral; cathedral city / school. Ordinary building: church. Trap: catholic / cattle. History, RS, and geography. A bishop’s principal church, not every big spire.

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