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

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

We’re actually doing a sound project about her for the Holy See pavilion next month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

The Holy See has recognised the State of Palestine since 2015.

From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025

An effort to raise one hundred thousand livres by pledging it brought in only thirty thousand, and then he pawned for fifty thousand more the plate and jewels of the Holy See.

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