The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word BISHOPRIC
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
B
I
S
H
O
P
R
I
C
More clues leading to the result BISHOPRIC
- See island store with 80% baked clay as exterior
- See island store coated in baked clay, mostly
- I betray monarch I caught undermining British religious centre
- See man, mostly well off
- See mistake, reduced cost next to nothing
- See chess piece? Rook, I see
- Piece on mainly affluent position of a minister
- See man on board crushing endless grain
- See chess piece, rook, taken by one -- first of castles
- See man in charge bagging runs
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "religious centre" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case religious centre = bishopric.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 BISHOPRIC mean?
BISHOPRIC noun- A diocese or region of a church which a bishop governs.
- The office or function of a bishop.