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

See Examples For:

Catholic Church

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

The controversy began after media reports that figures in the Catholic Church were concerned about the future status of the saint, who is depicted in Brazil as a black woman.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

The head of the Catholic Church blessed several babies as he stopped at different stages along the avenue as chants of "Leo, Leo" rang out.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 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

Their many societies had developed rigid social and economic class structures in which wealth and power were concentrated among monarchies, aristocracies, and the Catholic Church.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz