encyclical

American  

[en-sik-li-kuhl, -sahy-kli-] / ɛnˈsɪk lɪ kəl, -ˈsaɪ klɪ- /

Also encyclic

noun

1. Roman Catholic Church. a letter addressed by the pope to all the bishops of the church.

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adjective

1. (of a letter) intended for wide or general circulation; general.

encyclical British  

/ ɛnˈsɪklɪkəl /

noun

1. a letter sent by the pope to all Roman Catholic bishops throughout the world

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adjective

1. (of letters) intended for general or wide circulation

encyclical Cultural  

1. A letter from the pope to the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, in which he lays down policy on religious, moral, or political issues.

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Etymology

Origin of encyclical

1610–20; < Late Latin encyclicus (< Greek enkýklios, with -icus -ic for -ios, equivalent to en- en- ² + kýkl ( os ) circle, cycle + -ios adj. suffix) + -al ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

encyclical

At Notre Dame, Sullivan leads Delta, a Christian-rooted AI ethics initiative whose work aligns with Pope Leo’s May encyclical, “Magnifica humanitas.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026

The Vatican invited Anthropic to a launch event for Pope Leo’s encyclical, citing the company’s ethics following its face-off with the U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

During his address at the Élysée Palace, Leo revisited the themes of his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, calling for a defense of human dignity in an age of rising artificial intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

The pope has spoken about the challenges and opportunities of the digital age for the young and devoted his first encyclical -- a sort of papal manifesto -- to artificial intelligence.

From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026

Its revival under the guise of so-called Modernism drew from Pope Pius X. in 1908 the scathing condemnation embodied in the encyclical Pascendi gregis.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2 "Fairbanks, Erastus" to "Fens" by Various

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