Catholic Church

American  

noun

Roman Catholic Church.

1. a visible society of baptized Christians professing the same faith under the authority of the invisible head (Christ) and the authority of the visible head (the pope and the bishops in communion with him).

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Catholic Church British  

noun

1. short for Roman Catholic Church

2. any of several Churches claiming to have maintained continuity with the ancient and undivided Church

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Catholic Church Cultural  

1. A common abbreviation for the name of the Roman Catholic Church.

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Etymology

Origin of Catholic Church

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Catholic Church

Leo was elected as head of the Roman Catholic Church in May 2025, the first American to hold the role.

From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026

The investigations are commissioned by the pontiff and were introduced in 2019 to combat sexual abuse and hold bishops and other high-ranking Catholic Church officials accountable for their actions.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Saint Catherine of Alexandria Roman Catholic Church in Avalon hosted a gathering on Thursday for community members who needed to speak to a counselor to help process what happened.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Proponents of laïcité keep a close eye on the Catholic Church to ensure it isn’t overstepping any boundaries, said Jean-Marie Guénois, Vatican expert and religion editor at the French daily Le Figaro.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

In the largest funeral procession in the town’s history, thousands paid their respects as Fannie’s and Starzeleski’s bodies were borne from St. Peter’s Catholic Church to the Union Cemetery.

From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell

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