The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word HIERARCH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
H
I
E
R
A
R
C
H
More clues leading to the result HIERARCH
- Taller ship picked up high priest
- Chief priest caught lofty principal
- Prelate greeting Queen with bow
- Religious leader in church after greeting special revolutionary
- That woman’s mischievous, taking in current leader
- High priest’s casual greeting, unusual around church
- Chief priest caught charter boat for couples
- Head priest told to charter boat
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The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does HIERARCH mean?
HIERARCH noun- One who has high and controlling authority in sacred things; the chief of a sacred order.
- A title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (arbiters of canon law) over their respective dioceses.