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

• anti-Catholicism noun
• pro-Catholicism noun

Etymology

Origin of Catholicism

First recorded in 1600–10; Catholic + -ism

Example Sentences

On Tuesday it was announced that Vance would be releasing “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” a memoir about his conversion to Catholicism.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

Philippe Orengo, Monaco's ambassador to the Holy See, said the pope was interested in visiting a country where there has been a resurgence in Catholicism in recent years.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Zoomers are converting in sharply increasing numbers to Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

An unconventional and independent member of the Royal Family, the duchess was the first royal in almost three centuries to convert to Catholicism.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

Catholicism, the genesis of Christianity as we know it to be presently constituted, with its hierarchy, was conceived in Africa—by those whom the Christian church calls “The Desert Fathers.”

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey