Catholic Church

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noun Roman Catholic Church.

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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Origin of Catholic Church

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Words nearby Catholic Church

cathodoluminescence, cat hole, catholic, Catholic Apostolic Church, catholicate, Catholic Church, Catholic Emancipation Act, Catholic Epistles, Catholicism, catholicity, catholicize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Catholic Church in a sentence

Küng recommended a decentralized Catholic Church, with the pope and cardinals stripped of their role as the sole interpreters of ecclesiastical doctrine.
Hans Küng, Catholic theologian who challenged papal authority, dies at 93|Matt Schudel|April 9, 2021|Washington Post
A quarter of a century later, the new head of the Roman Catholic Church claimed that those days had been consigned to history.
Pope’s Blistering Attack on ‘Haggard’ Europe|Nico Hines|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Laylah and her older sister, Destiny, attended the school affiliated with Our Lady of Good Hope Roman Catholic Church.
11 Children Shot in Milwaukee, One in Her Grandpa's Lap|Michael Daly|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. John of Rochester Roman Catholic Church in Fairport, New York.
Firefighters Salute 8 Year Old Who Died Trying to Save His Grandfather|Michael Daly|January 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But whatever the sins of Rio, after such a glowing welcome it was hard to claim that the Roman Catholic Church was in crisis.
‘Viva Papa Francisco!’ Brazil Celebrates Pope’s Trip|Mac Margolis|July 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I would like to thank you for your embrace, also to the Roman Catholic Church and the bishops, thank you very much.
Pope Francis I's First Speech: The Full Text||March 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Just a few priests ordained in the Roman Catholic Church have joined the schismatic cause.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
There were grades of rank among the priesthood; but not more so than in the Roman Catholic Church.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord
Religious intolerance was one of the features of the age and of the Roman Catholic Church.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume VII|John Lord
In the Roman Catholic Church feasts are "movable" and "immovable," but the celebrants are uniformly immovable until they are full.
The Devil's Dictionary|Ambrose Bierce
They waited for the other tram by the Roman Catholic Church, whose florid bulk was already receding into twilight.
The Longest Journey|E. M. Forster

British Dictionary definitions for Catholic Church

Catholic Church

noun

short for Roman Catholic Church

any of several Churches claiming to have maintained continuity with the ancient and undivided Church

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Catholic Church

Catholic Church

A common abbreviation for the name of the Roman Catholic Church.