Catholicism
Americannoun
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the faith, system, and practice of the Catholic Church, especially the Roman Catholic Church.
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(lowercase) catholicity.
noun
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short for Roman Catholicism
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the beliefs, practices, etc, of any Catholic Church
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of Catholicism
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Catholicism has played a central role in Spanish life for centuries, but traditional religious observance has declined for decades in line with a trend across Europe.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
In diagnosing the problem, the wing of Latin Catholicism that both Francis and Leo represent saw the church’s historical links with elite power structures and oligarchical families as a key vulnerability.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
And it’s not just the figure at the top that changes the dynamics: Catholicism is hot right now, at least in media coverage.
From Slate • Apr. 15, 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
The expression suggests the parochialism of the Catholicism in which I was raised.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
