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 Latinate reference deliberately invokes the transformative 1891 encyclical, “Rerum Novarum,” from his predecessor and namesake, Pope Leo XIII, which oriented the church toward the challenges of industrial society and its consequences.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

Obituaries from several major newspapers, including this one, either ignored or only made passing reference to his encyclical.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2025

Another session used a papal encyclical to “highlight the tension and possibility inherent in Christians in political vocations.”

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2024

Last month, in a prelude to what he will likely say in Dubai, the Argentine Jesuit issued an urgent update to his landmark 2015 encyclical on the environment.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 15, 2023

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

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