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

His speech was a digest of a lengthier encyclical he issued on May 15.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

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

Pope Leo recently issued an encyclical on AI that built on the work last September of a panel of Nobel laureates, tech specialists and other luminaries the Vatican had assembled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 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

The three friends spent that afternoon in Döllinger's company; and it was after he had left them that Lamennais produced the encyclical and said: Dieu a parlé.

From The History of Freedom by John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, Baron Acton

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