exarch

1 of 2

noun

ex·​arch ˈek-ˌsärk How to pronounce exarch (audio)
1
: a Byzantine viceroy
2
: an Eastern bishop ranking below a patriarch and above a metropolitan
specifically : the head of an independent church
exarchal adjective
exarchate noun
exarchy noun

exarch

2 of 2

adjective

: formed or taking place from the periphery toward the center
exarch xylem

Examples of exarch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In that last phase, the city was the capital of a territory called the exarchate, whose commander, the exarch, was sent from Constantinople. Anthony Kaldellis, WSJ, 11 Dec. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Late Latin exarchus, from Late Greek exarchos, from Greek, leader, from exarchein to begin, take the lead, from ex- + archein to rule, begin — more at arch-

Adjective

exo- + -arch

First Known Use

Noun

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exarch was in 1588

Dictionary Entries Near exarch

Cite this Entry

“Exarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exarch. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on exarch

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!