catholicity

[kath-uh-lis-i-tee]

noun

1. broad-mindedness or liberality, as of tastes, interests, or views.

2. universality; general inclusiveness.

3. (initial capital letter),  the Roman Catholic Church, or its doctrines and usages.

catholicity

¹

/ ˌkæθəˈlɪsɪtɪ /

noun

1. a wide range of interests, tastes, etc; liberality

2. universality; comprehensiveness

Catholicity

²

/ ˌkæθəˈlɪsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the beliefs, etc, of the Catholic Church

Other Word Forms

• noncatholicity noun
• uncatholicity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of catholicity¹

First recorded in 1820–30; catholic + -ity

Example Sentences

First: The 20th century’s bright lines between photographic genres, which made Avedon so anxious and led critics to dismiss all his imagery as one big Vogue shoot, had dissolved into the 21st century’s low-drama catholicity.

Read more on New York Times

For visitors returning after five months, the catholicity of these galleries will be a treat.

Read more on New York Times

Not every designer cites, with Mr. Dhir’s catholicity of taste, inspirations as disparate as Clark Gable’s swallowtail coats from “Gone With the Wind” and Paul Hogan’s groovy buccaneer drag from “Crocodile Dundee.”

Read more on New York Times

When some people rave about “Hamilton” as a “hip-hop musical,” they’re applauding the expansion of their taste — of their artistic tolerance — and obscuring Miranda’s voracious catholicity.

Read more on New York Times

But while that genre catholicity has always been part of Mr. Brooks’s arsenal, he’s too savvy to ignore the country base.

Read more on New York Times