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

See Examples For:

Holy See

The Vatican has declared a formal schism with the Society of St. Pius X, excommunicating its bishops and priests in a sweeping crackdown on a traditionalist group that has vexed the Holy See for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

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

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

A truce was thus patched up with Philippe, who hastened to manifest his good-will to the Holy See by abandoning his subjects again to the inquisitors.

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