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

Example Sentences

Although Pope Benedict XVI repealed the excommunication in 2009 in an unsuccessful attempt to heal the rift, Pope Leo is also expected to exclude the new bishops from the Catholic Church.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

Scandalous as that sounds, there’s actually something less supernatural and more terrestrial playing out here: a power struggle between the Catholic Church and influencer priests who’ve successfully harnessed the internet’s algorithms.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

During his seven-day visit, Pope Leo will meet victims who experienced sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, as well as groups that look after the welfare of migrants.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

The pope could keep moving the anti-AI needle, as the head of the Catholic Church often can shift public opinion.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

Or that time we went to Maine for a weekend and the Catholic Church there was closed from flooding.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy