Adjective
Having its own head; independent of episcopal or patriarchal jurisdiction, as certain Greek churches.
Source: Webster's dictionaryAdministratively, these bishops and their territories are organized into various autocephalous groups or synods of bishops who gather together at least twice a year to discuss the state of affairs within their respective sees. Source: Internet
Autocephalous churches may have one or more "autonomous" churches under their authority, which is exercised only at the time the autocephalous bishop appoints the highest-ranking bishop (an archbishop or metropolitan) of the autonomous church. Source: Internet
Including all the autocephalous churches under its supervision, its adherents number more than 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million estimated adherents of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Source: Internet
Eastern Orthodoxy is thus made up of 15 or 16 autocephalous bodies. Source: Internet
Below is a list of the 14 (15) autocephalous Orthodox churches, all of which are titled equal to each other, but the Ecumenical Patriarchate is titled first among equals. Source: Internet
Church governance The Orthodox Church is a communion comprising the fifteen separate autocephalous hierarchical churches that recognize each other as "canonical" Orthodox Christian churches. Source: Internet