prelate
/ˈpɹɛlət/noun, verb
prelate is spelled P-R-E-L-A-T-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, prelate means “A clergyman of high rank and authority, having jurisdiction over an area or a group of people; normally a bishop” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of prelate is prelates.
How many letters and syllables are in prelate?
| Letters | 7: P-R-E-L-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,209th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is prelate?
Prelate appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce prelate?
- US /ˈpɹɛlət/
Prelate has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-prelate.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with prelate?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as prelate from its last stressed vowel (/ɛlət/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of prelate
- prelates plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- prelating participle, present
- prelated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does prelate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A clergyman of high rank and authority, having jurisdiction over an area or a group of people; normally a bishop.
verb
- 1
(obsolete) To act as a prelate.
18 January 1549, Hugh Latimer, Sermon of the Plough Right prelating is busy labouring, and not lording.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Prelate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense clergyman:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does prelate come from?
From Old French prelat (French prélat), from Medieval Latin praelātus, perfect passive participle of praeferō (“to carry before, prefer, exceed”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix). Doublet of prefer. See also infer, relate and refer, delate and defer, as well as collate and confer among others.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).