Roman Catholic

American  

adjective

1. of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church.

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noun

1. a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

Roman Catholic British  

adjective

1. of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church

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noun

1. a member of this Church

Etymology

Origin of Roman Catholic

First recorded in 1595–1605

Compare meaning

How does roman-catholic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Eastern Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic

Example Sentences

One graduate student, Patrick, is a devoted Roman Catholic, unquestioning in his faith.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Last month, there was an international outcry after Israeli police prevented the top Roman Catholic leader in Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for a private mass on Palm Sunday.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

The Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam, for example, brought together Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish Americans who opposed the war because it violated the nation’s ideals and religious consciences.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

But even if you don’t believe any of that, Leo is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest organization on Earth spreading that message of absolution through belief.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

A priest I once heard in a white middle-class parish defended the reformed liturgy by saying that it had become necessary to ‘de-Europeanize’ the Roman Catholic Church.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez