science

Nolo episcopari

Nolo episcopari is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nolo episcopari rather than just read about it. In short: The Latin expression nolo episcopari is the traditional formal refusal made by a cleric in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches of an offer as appointment as a bishop. It means, literally, "I do not wish to be bishoped".

Key takeaways

Nolo episcopari belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nolo episcopari to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nolo episcopari from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Latin expression nolo episcopari is the traditional formal refusal made by a cleric in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches of an offer as appointment as a bishop. It means, literally, "I do not wish to be bishoped". A historical myth has arisen that it was customary and decorous for any candidate for a bishopric to decline the office twice by use of the expression, only a third use of which would indicate a true intention of refusal. Henry Fielding in his 1749 novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling uses the phrase to show becoming modesty on the part of a lady asked for in marriage:

He soon found means to make his addresses, in express terms, to his mistress, from whom he received an answer in the proper form, viz: the answer which was first made some thousands of years ago, and which hath been handed down by tradition from mother to daughter ever since. If I was to translate this into Latin, I should render it by these two words: Nolo episcopari. George Eliot in her 1861 novel Silas Marner also uses the phrase to indicate that the landlord of the Rainbow agreed to go to the constable on behalf of the company only after showing the requisite modesty:

The landlord agreed with this view, and after taking the sense of the company, and duly rehearsing a small ceremony known in high ecclesiastical life as the nolo episcopari, he consented to take on himself the chill dignity of going to Kench’s.

Sources The World of Dr. Justice, blogspot, Sunday, September 22, 2013, Phrase of the Day: nolo episcopari [2]

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nolo episcopari

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nolo episcopari claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nolo episcopari before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nolo episcopari ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nolo episcopari

In research: Nolo episcopari appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nolo episcopari in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nolo episcopari is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Latin religious words and phrases, Vocabulary and usage stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nolo episcopari outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Nolo episcopari” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Nolo episcopari in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nolo episcopari means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nolo episcopari out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nolo episcopari in simple terms?

Why does Nolo episcopari matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nolo episcopari?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nolo episcopari.