1. (n.) Dominion or authority in sacred things.

2. (n.) A body of officials disposed organically in ranks and orders each subordinate to the one above it; a body of ecclesiastical rulers.

3. (n.) A form of government administered in the church by patriarchs, metropolitans, archbishops, bishops, and, in an inferior degree, by priests.

4. (n.) A rank or order of holy beings.

absolute monarchy aedileship animal kingdom archbishopric archiepiscopacy archiepiscopate aristocracy autarchy autocracy autonomy bishopric bureaucracy caste chain of being chairmanship chancellery chancellorate chancellorship chiefery chiefry chieftaincy chieftainry chieftainship class class structure coalition government colonialism commonwealth condition constitutional government constitutional monarchy consulate consulship continuity deanery degree democracy dictatorship dictature directorate directorship domain dominion rule duarchy duumvirate dyarchy echelon emirate episcopacy establishment federal government federation feudal system footing garrison state gerontocracy governorship gradation headship hegemony heteronomy hierocracy higher echelons higher-ups home rule kingdom leadership limited monarchy lordship magistracy magistrateship magistrature management martial law masterdom mastership mastery mayoralty mayorship meritocracy metropolitanate metropolitanship militarism military government mineral kingdom ministry mob rule mobocracy monarchy natural hierarchy neocolonialism nobility ochlocracy officialdom oligarchy order pantisocracy papacy pashadom pashalic patriarchate patriarchy pecking order place police state pontificality pontificate popedom popehood popeship position power structure precedence prefectship prefecture prelacy premiership presidency presidentship prime-ministership prime-ministry princedom princeship principality proconsulate proconsulship protectorate protectorship provostry provostship pure democracy pyramid rank rate rating realm rectorate rectorship regency regentship representative democracy representative government republic ruling class ruling classes seigniory self-determination self-government seneschalship seneschalsy sequence serial order sheikhdom sheriffalty sheriffcy sheriffdom shrievalty social democracy sphere stage standing station status stratocracy subordination supervisorship suzerainship suzerainty technocracy the Establishment the administration the authorities the ingroup the interests the people upstairs the power elite the power structure the top thearchy them theocracy they top brass totalitarian government totalitarian regime triarchy tribunate triumvirate tyranny vegetable kingdom vizierate viziership welfare state