A church officer having a superior degree of holiness and a fat preferment. One of Heaven's aristocracy. A gentleman of God.

A clergyman of a superior order, as an archbishop or a bishop, having authority over the lower clergy; a dignitary of the church.

Archbishop, bishop or head of a religious house. (Heath, Peter. Church and Realm, 1272-1461, 366)

a senior clergyman and dignitary

A high ranking church official; in Anglican use, the word almost always signifies a bishop. In continental use, other dignatories, such as archdeacons, deans, canons, etc., may be styled "minor prelates."

A high-ranking officer of the Church of the Faith

In the Anglican tradition, the term indicates a bishop. The term "prelacy" has been used pejoratively to describe ecclesiastical governance by bishops. The term is seldom used in the Episcopal Church.

an ecclesiastic (as a bishop or abbot) of superior rank Source

An abbot, bishop or other high ranking member of the church.

important type of churchman such as a bishop or archbishop

A prelate is a member of the clergy who either is an ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, "to prefer," suggesting that the prelate is preferred over other clergy.