Holy See

American  

noun

1. Roman Catholic Church. the see of Rome; the office or jurisdiction of the pope.

2. the papal court.

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Holy See British  

noun

1. the see of the pope as bishop of Rome and head of the Church

2. the Roman curia

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Holy See Cultural  

1. In the Roman Catholic Church, the official name for the jurisdiction of the pope (the word see is from the Latin for “seat”).

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Etymology

Origin of Holy See

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

From the Holy See to Silicon Valley, each day brings a fresh wave of discourse.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

As a priest, I have advised governments, the United Nations and the Holy See on what it means to build technology responsibly.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

The Vatican described the talks as “cordial” and said “the shared commitment to cultivate good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America was renewed.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

The Pentagon and the US ambassador to the Holy See denied The Free Press's account of the January meeting between Colby and Pierre, who has since retired.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The Holy See was thus provided with a militia, recruited and sustained at the expense of the faithful, panoplied in invulnerability, and devoted to its exclusive service.

From A History of The Inquisition of The Middle Ages; volume I by Lea, Henry Charles