|a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.| |a fool or simpleton; ninny.| an
ecclesiastical dignitary of high rank. In the modern Roman
Catholic church, prelates are those who exercise the public
power of the church. True prelacy is defined as "preeminence
with jurisdiction," and true, or real, prelates are
distinguished as (1) greater prelates, those who possess
episcopal jurisdiction (such as patriarchs, archbishops, and
bishops), and (2) lesser prelates, those who possess a quasi-
episcopal or other jurisdiction (such as abbots and prelates "of
no diocese" and religious superiors, withdrawn from the ordinary
diocesan jurisdiction). Learn more about prelate with a free
trial on Britannica.com.