the main church of a diocese, where a bishop has his official seat
Tourists stood in awe as sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of the ancient cathedral.
The wedding bells rang from the cathedral in the heart of the city square.
✦ Middle English, from Old French cathédrale, from Late Latin cathedra "seat" (referring to the bishop’s throne).
a very large or impressive building that makes people feel awe, sometimes spoken of figuratively
The new train station is a cathedral of glass and steel.
Journalists dubbed the stadium a modern cathedral of sport.
✦ Extended figurative sense recorded from the mid-19th century, transferring the grandeur of church cathedrals to other impressive buildings.
