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

In the United States, the Catholic Church has campaigned against human composting wherever legislation has been introduced to implement it.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

In a statement, the Catholic Church, which is close to the PP, said that Castillo's story "reflects an accumulation of personal suffering and institutional failures".

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

The law has opened the floodgates for thousands of lawsuits against the Catholic Church, local governments and public school districts.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

The Catholic Church and its last few popes have understood only the destructive force of war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

Toward the end of the thirteenth century, the Catholic Church began what could be called a series of domestic crusades within Europe.

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