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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

encyclical

Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” demonstrates such moral participation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 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

So what did the Chicago Pope actually say, what was he doing with his encyclical, and what’s an encyclical anyway?

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

“Income from capital risks replacing income from labor,” he wrote in “Magnifica Humanitas,” his encyclical letter devoted to the effects of AI, released this week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 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