— vicar-generalship , n.
/vik"euhr jen"euhr euhl/ , n. , pl. vicars-general .
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.
[ 1350-1400; ME ]