Monsignor
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Alternative letter-case form of monsignor. alt-of
"Brother Matteo is a Capuchin, of course, so he eats pretty frugally: bread and water, vegetables and fruit, no meat, no cheese. And poor old Father Bechetti lost his appetite when he lost his teeth. So it’s really the three Monsignors who do the feasting."
- 2 An ecclesiastic title bestowed on some Roman Catholic clerics by the Pope
"He goes one day to hear Father Hecker preach on the Destiny of Man, on another to hear Monsignor Pie, Bishop of Poitiers, then Archbishop Manning, and again Monsignor Mermillod and Father Burke. […] We have just made her a grand festa for her day, the 20th—twelve Masses, cardinal, two archbishops, two monsignori, the other seven, priests."
- 3 (Roman Catholic Church) an ecclesiastical title of honor bestowed on some priests wordnet
Example
More examples"Calling him "Monsignor" seems too feudal."
Etymology
From Italian monsignore, from signore under influence from Middle French monseigneur. Doublet of monseigneur and monsieur.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.