autocephalous: Meaning and Definition of

au•to•ceph•a•lous

Pronunciation: (ô"tu-sef'u-lus), [key]
— adj. Eastern Ch.
  1. (of a church) having its own head or chief bishop, though in communion with other Orthodox churches.
  2. (of a bishop) subordinate to no superior authority; self-governing.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.