vicar general

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

vicar general noun (vicars general)

1. an official, usually a layman, appointed to assist the bishop of a diocese in discharging his or her administrative or judicial duties

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

vic•ar-gen•er•al  (vik′ər jen′ər əl), n., pl. vic•ars-gen•er•al. 

1. [Rom. Cath. Ch.] a priest deputized by a bishop to assist him in the administration of a diocese.
2. [Ch. of Eng.] an ecclesiastical officer, usually a layperson, who assists a bishop or an archbishop in the discharge of his judicial or administrative duties.

• Middle English 1350–1400

vic′ar-gen′er•al•ship′, n.