Episcopacy is a term that means the system of government in which bishops are the highest-ranking officials in the church. There are several synonyms that can be used in place of this word. One of them is episcopal governance, which refers to the same system of governance with bishops as the highest authority. Another synonym is episcopal polity, which also refers to the same system. Hierarchical governance is another synonym that can be used to describe the same form of church government. Other synonyms include episcopal rule and bishopric governance. The use of synonyms for episcopacy can help to vary the language used and avoid repetition in writing or conversation.