Catholicism

American  

[kuh-thol-uh-siz-uhm] / kəˈθɒl əˌsɪz əm /

noun

1. the faith, system, and practice of the Catholic Church, especially the Roman Catholic Church.

2. (lowercase) catholicity.

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Catholicism British  

/ kəˈθɒlɪˌsɪzəm /

noun

1. short for Roman Catholicism

2. the beliefs, practices, etc, of any Catholic Church

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Catholicism Cultural  

1. The beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pro-Catholicism
  noun
• anti-Catholicism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Catholicism

First recorded in 1600–10; Catholic + -ism

Example Sentences

But exorcists are an established part of Catholicism.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

Catholicism has played a central role in Spanish life for centuries, but traditional religious observance has declined for decades in line with a trend across Europe.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

Catholicism is now listed under a single designation under Christianity without similar distinctions of their denominations.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

After his death, public commentators debated whether he, a lifelong evangelical, was on the verge of converting to Catholicism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Only now do I trouble to notice what intricate differences separated home Catholicism from classroom Catholicism.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez