definitions

papable

[ pey-puh-buh l ]
/ ˈpeɪ pə bəl /
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adjective

suitable or likely to become pope.

Nearby words

pap, pap smear, pap technique, pap test, papa, papable, papacy, papadopoulos, papagayo, papago, papain

Origin of papable

1585–95; < Middle French < Italian papabile, equivalent to papa pope + -bile -ble

Related forms

pa·pa·bil·i·ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for papable

  • It's a sweltering hot day in London today, a real British heat wave with no a/c, and the Jubilee enthusiasm is papable.

    London Heating Up|Tom Sykes|May 29, 2012|DAILY BEAST

  • These wants, papable as they are in times of peace, become doubly pressing in time of war.

    Ocean Steam Navigation and the Ocean Post|Thomas Rainey

  • The threat was too papable to be mistaken, nor was he sufficiently conversant with the world of policy to detect its fallacy.

    Roland Cashel|Charles James Lever