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definitions

papal

[ pey-puh l ]
/ ˈpeɪ pəl /
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adjective

of or relating to the pope or the papacy: a papal visit to Canada.
of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church.

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RELATED WORDS

pontifical, apostolic

Nearby words

  1. papadopoulos,
  2. papadopoulos, george,
  3. papagayo,
  4. papago,
  5. papain,
  6. papal bull,
  7. papal cross,
  8. papal infallibility,
  9. papal states,
  10. papalism

Origin of papal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word pāpālis. See pope, -al1
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for papal

British Dictionary definitions for papal

papal

/ (ˈpeɪpəl) /

adjective

of or relating to the pope or the papacy
Derived Formspapally, adverb
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

Word Origin and History for papal

papal

adj.

late 14c., from Old French papal (late 14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin papalis "pertaining to the pope," from papa (see pope).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper