cathedral
cathedral — noun
1. a very large Christian place of worship, usually built of stone, where a bishop
a very large Christian place of worship, usually built of stone, where a bishop has his or her formal chair of authority; it is the most important church in its region
Tourists lined up outside St. Paul's Cathedral before it opened for morning prayers.
proper name: [Saint's Name] Cathedral
The cathedral's tall stone towers could be seen from every street in the old city.
possessive: cathedral's + architectural feature
A new bishop was chosen to lead the cathedral and the churches around it.
The stained-glass windows inside the cathedral tell stories from the Bible.
Cologne Cathedral took more than 600 years to complete.
- minster
historically refers to a large church or cathedral; now mostly found in British proper names (e.g. York Minster)
- basilica
a large church given special ceremonial rights by the Pope, often cathedral-sized but not necessarily a bishop's seat
- chapel
a small church or a room for worship within a larger building; much smaller and without a bishop
- chapel
a small place of worship, often part of a larger institution
文法句型
the + cathedral (of + place)
[name] Cathedral (with capital C)
用法筆記
A cathedral is always a church, but not every large church is a cathedral — only a church that contains the official seat (cathedra) of a bishop can be called a cathedral. Capitalise the word when it is part of a proper name (e.g. Westminster Abbey is not a cathedral; St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York is).
常見錯誤
cathedral — adjective
1. relating to the official position, seat, or authority of a bishop within a Chris
relating to the official position, seat, or authority of a bishop within a Christian church hierarchy
The cathedral documents were stored in a locked cabinet inside the bishop's private office.
cathedral as adjective modifying documents
Only the bishop has the cathedral authority to make decisions about new priests in this area.
cathedral authority = bishop's official power
The decision was made ex cathedra — a formal statement issued from the bishop's highest teaching office.
Historians studied the cathedral records to learn about the diocese in the 14th century.
文法句型
cathedral + [noun of authority or office]
用法筆記
This adjective is uncommon in everyday conversation and appears mostly in formal religious or historical writing. It always modifies a noun related to governance, documentation, or official church procedure. The related Latin phrase ex cathedra ('from the chair') is sometimes used in Catholic theology for infallible papal statements.