motu proprio

[ moh-too proh-pree-oh ]

nounLatin.

any of certain documents issued by the pope without counsel from others.

Origin of motu proprio

Literally, “of one's own accord”

Words Nearby motu proprio

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use motu proprio in a sentence

De motu proprio—From the suggestion of one's own mind; spontaneously.
Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources | James Wood
Another decree, the motu proprio, was construed as seeking to establish immunity for the clergy from proceedings in civil courts.
John Redmond's Last Years | Stephen Gwynn
This ordinance, which is issued motu proprio by the Pope, is the re-enactment and more exact definition of an old law.
Against Home Rule (1912) | Various
There is no document more frequently misquoted than this motu proprio.
The Priestly Vocation | Bishop Bernard Ward

British Dictionary definitions for motu proprio

motu proprio

/ (ˈməʊtuː ˈprəʊprɪˌəʊ) /

noun

an administrative papal bull

Origin of motu proprio

Latin: of his own accord

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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