vicar apostolic: Meaning and Definition of

vic'ar apostol'ic

Pronunciation: [key]
— pl. vicars apostolic.
  1. a titular bishop serving either in a district where no episcopal see has been established, or in one where the succession of bishops has been interrupted.
  2. an archbishop, bishop, or other ecclesiastic to whom the pope delegated a portion of his jurisdiction.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.