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

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

But its relations with the Holy See have since sharply deteriorated.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

But Brian Burch, the US ambassador to the Holy See, told reporters this week that despite the recent tensions there was no "deep rift" between the US and the Vatican.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

Philippe Orengo, Monaco's ambassador to the Holy See, said the pope was interested in visiting a country where there has been a resurgence in Catholicism in recent years.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Gregory IX. and his successors took their institution under the special protection of the Holy See.

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