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

• anti-Catholicism
  noun
• pro-Catholicism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Catholicism

First recorded in 1600–10; Catholic + -ism

Example Sentences

And it’s not just the figure at the top that changes the dynamics: Catholicism is hot right now, at least in media coverage.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

JD Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, during a time when he was being heavily bankrolled by esoteric Catholic billionaire Peter Thiel.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

"The Pope is the Pope, we owe him a certain amount of deference, but I don't think that Catholicism wants the obedience of cadavers. We are living, thinking persons," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Why does Roman Catholicism prohibit other faiths from taking Communion?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Finally, near the end of his life, he began to explore Catholicism.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady