papacy

[ pey-puh-see ]

/ ˈpeɪ pə si /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR papacy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural pa·pa·cies. Roman Catholic Church.

the office, dignity, or jurisdiction of the pope.

the system of ecclesiastical government in which the pope is recognized as the supreme head.

the period during which a certain pope is in office.

the succession or line of the popes.

Nearby words

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

Origin of papacy

1350–1400; Middle English papacie < Medieval Latin pāpātia. See pope, -acy

Related forms

an·ti·pa·pa·cy, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for papacy

At the end of this one, Francis gave what many said was the best speech of his papacy.
Pope Francis Wins a Battle to Welcome Gays in the Church|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Invention of Peter is not the first book to question the role of Peter and the foundations of the Papacy.
Who Really Put the Pope in Charge?|Candida Moss|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Each edition of the magazine will include a new chapters to be torn out and collected to form a book of the Pope Francis papacy.
Pope Francis Gets A Fanzine|Barbie Latza Nadeau|March 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But, then again, the changes in store under this papacy have only just begun.
Vatican Science on Christmas and Creationism|Christopher Dickey|December 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Recently released transcripts from that private meeting shed light on the power of the papacy.
Putin to Meet Pope Francis in Rome|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The papacy was not inactive in presence of all these efforts.
History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume V|J. H. Merle d'Aubigné
If these intentions were honest, the subordination of England to the papacy might be still preserved in a modified form.
History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth. Vol. II.|James Anthony Froude
For three centuries they strove to keep Germany together and at the same time control Italy and the papacy.
An Introduction to the History of Western Europe|James Harvey Robinson
The Papacy had destroyed the Empire but had failed to establish itself in its place.
Giovanni Boccaccio, a Biographical Study|Edward Hutton
Foreign bishops brought the Church into new relations with the papacy, and impaired its independence and national character.
The English Church in the Middle Ages|William Hunt

British Dictionary definitions for papacy

papacy

/ (ˈpeɪpəsɪ) /

noun plural -cies

the office or term of office of a pope

the system of government in the Roman Catholic Church that has the pope as its head

Word Origin for papacy

C14: from Medieval Latin pāpātia, from pāpa pope 1

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

Culture definitions for papacy

papacy

The office or position of the pope.

papacy

noun, plural pa·pa·cies. Roman Catholic Church.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of papacy

Related forms

Examples from the Web for papacy

British Dictionary definitions for papacy

papacy

noun plural -cies

Word Origin for papacy

Culture definitions for papacy

papacy