Lateran

American  

[lat-er-uhn] / ˈlæt ər ən /

noun

1. the church of St. John Lateran, the cathedral church of the city of Rome; the church of the pope as bishop of Rome.

---

Lateran British  

/ ˈlætərən /

noun

1. Also called: Lateran palace.  a palace in Rome, formerly the official residence of the popes

2. any of five ecumenical councils held in this palace between 1123 and 1512

3. the basilica of Saint John Lateran, the cathedral church of Rome

---

Etymology

Origin of Lateran

from Latin: the district is named after the ancient Roman family Plautii Laterani

Example Sentences

While modern popes live and work in the Vatican, the Lateran church is sometimes referred to in Catholicism as "the mother of all churches".

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2025

From the hostel terrace, we can see the Basilica of St. John Lateran, its imposing statues of Christ, John the Baptist, and John the Evangelist rising above the rooftops.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2025

On June 13, the Vatican said the pope would not celebrate the annual Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Domini, a ritual which usually involved the pope’s presence at Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran.

From Washington Times • Jun. 20, 2022

He was ordained a priest in 1950 and obtained a doctorate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University, both in Rome.

From Washington Post • May 28, 2022

The first of these is the famous mosaic of the Lateran triclinium, constructed by Pope Leo III., about A.D.

From Walks in Rome by Hare, Augustus J. C.