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

Derived Forms

• pro-Catholicism
  noun
• anti-Catholicism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Catholicism

First recorded in 1600–10; Catholic + -ism

Example Sentences

But exorcists are an established part of Catholicism.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

Leo's predecessor Francis largely overlooked many of Europe's traditional bastions of Catholicism where, like Spain, religious observance has been falling rapidly.

From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026

Both men have helped bridge the gap between South and North and have offered a theological and sociological approach that represents Southern concerns in a less abrasive way than, for example, African Catholicism might.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

JD Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, during a time when he was being heavily bankrolled by esoteric Catholic billionaire Peter Thiel.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

Although my parents knew less about Catholicism than their children did, they had been baptized and went with us when we attended church.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac