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

Throughout the week, Vance was also promoting his new book about his faith and conversion to Catholicism.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

But the most interesting part of the book is his clear-eyed analysis of why he is drawn to his final step, finding his new spiritual home in Catholicism.

From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026

He tries to cast his days of “blindly chasing ambition” behind himself, insisting now that his conversion to Catholicism has changed him into a man who tries to “focus on the good.”

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026

Catholicism had long done exceptional charitable work in the U.S., running hospitals, orphanages, shelters, soup kitchens and more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Those years were marked by the realization that my parents assumed a Catholicism very different from mine.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez