College of Cardinals

American

noun

the chief ecclesiastical body of the Roman Catholic Church, electing and advising the pope and comprising all of the cardinals of the church.

College of Cardinals British

noun

RC Church the collective body of cardinals having the function of electing and advising the pope

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As the College of Cardinals meets at the Vatican in the coming weeks to elect Francis’ successor, Gomez, a mere archbishop, will stay home.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2025

The new Pope has to be chosen by the Catholic Church's most senior officials, known as the College of Cardinals.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

At age 49 he will become the second-youngest member of the College of Cardinals when he is installed Sept. 30.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 30, 2023

Daily Il Fatto Quotidiano quoted an email from the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Battista Re, to his colleagues saying Francis’ return to the Vatican was expected Thursday or Friday.

From Washington Times • Jun. 14, 2023

There were two parties in the College of Cardinals, the French and the Italian, with little love lost between them.

From A Short History of Italy (476-1900) by Sedgwick, Henry Dwight

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023