Catholic
[kath-uh-lik, kath-lik]
- of or relating to a Catholic church, especially the Roman Catholic Church.
- Theology.
- (among Roman Catholics) claiming to possess exclusively the notes or characteristics of the one, only, true, and universal church having unity, visibility, indefectibility, apostolic succession, universality, and sanctity: used in this sense, with these qualifications, only by the Church of Rome, as applicable only to itself and its adherents and to their faith and organization; often qualified, especially by those not acknowledging these claims, by prefixing the word Roman.
- (among Anglo-Catholics) noting or pertaining to the conception of the church as the body representing the ancient undivided Christian witness, comprising all the orthodox churches that have kept the apostolic succession of bishops, and including the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, Church of Sweden, the Old Catholic Church (in the Netherlands and elsewhere), etc.
- pertaining to the Western Church.
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- a member of a Catholic church, especially of the Roman Catholic Church.
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Origin of Catholic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for non-catholic
Contemporary Examples
But the order was not followed in non-Catholic countries, causing the Jesuits to continue in Russia and its territories.
Pope Francis Is a Jesuit: Seven Things You Need to Know About the Society of JesusCaroline Linton
March 14, 2013
Historical Examples
Look, too, at the educated intellect of the non-Catholic world to-day.
The work is done as well as we could expect from a non-Catholic author.
All these religious scenes have greatly impressed non-Catholic soldiers.
The Irish on the SommeMichael MacDonagh
Poison-thought has eaten the vitals of non-catholic sectaries.
The Young Priest's KeepsakeMichael Phelan
All non-catholic preachers were banished; thirty thousand families, who preferred exile to a change of their religion, emigrated.
Historical View of the Languages and Literature of the Slavic NationsTherese Albertine Louise von Jacob Robinson
non-Catholic
- not of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church
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- a person who does not practise Roman Catholicism
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catholic
- universal; relating to all men; all-inclusive
- comprehensive in interests, tastes, etc; broad-minded; liberal
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Word Origin
C14: from Latin catholicus, from Greek katholikos universal, from katholou in general, from kata- according to + holos whole
Catholic
- denoting or relating to the entire body of Christians, esp to the Church before separation into the Greek or Eastern and Latin or Western Churches
- denoting or relating to the Latin or Western Church after this separation
- denoting or relating to the Roman Catholic Church
- denoting or relating to any church, belief, etc, that claims continuity with or originates in the ancient undivided Church
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- a member of any of the Churches regarded as Catholic, esp the Roman Catholic Church
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for non-catholic
Catholic
n.
"member of the Roman Catholic church," 1560s, from Catholic (adj.).
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catholic
adj.
mid-14c., "of the doctrines of the ancient Church," literally "universally accepted," from French catholique, from Church Latin catholicus "universal, general," from Greek katholikos, from phrase kath' holou "on the whole, in general," from kata "about" + genitive of holos "whole" (see safe (adj.)). Applied to the Church in Rome c.1554, after the Reformation began. General sense of "of interest to all, universal" is from 1550s.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper