Relating to or characteristic of an archdeacon, a senior church official who supervises other clergy.
From 'arch-' (chief) plus 'dean' (from Latin 'decanus,' originally meaning a commander of ten). The term emerged in medieval Church hierarchy to denote the most important dean.
Archdeans were basically the 'quality control inspectors' of medieval churches—they had to visit parishes and make sure priests weren't misbehaving, making them both feared and resented by the lower clergy.
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