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

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

Pope Leo’s first encyclical makes the moral case for humanity against ungoverned AI.

From Slate • May 28, 2026

“Magnifica Humanitas,” Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, is about artificial intelligence and arrives at a moment of genuine civilizational anxiety.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Leo’s 42,000-word encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas” intermixes them in the way Catholic social teaching has often done, and in a similarly unclear and disorganized way.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

For a complete analysis of Modernism we must go to the encyclical itself.

From Pope Pius the Tenth by Forbes, F. A. (Frances Alice)