papal

[ pey-puh l ]

/ ˈpeɪ pəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR papal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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

of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church.

RELATED WORDS

pontifical, apostolic

Nearby words

Origin of papal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word pāpālis. See pope, -al¹

Related forms

pa·pal·ly, adverban·ti·pa·pal, adjectivenon·pa·pal, adjectivepseu·do·pa·pal, adjective

un·pa·pal, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for papal

Congress is now 92 percent Christian, resembling more to a papal enclave than our religiously diverse nation.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He held intrigue for journalists converging for the transition of papal power.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF|Jason Berry|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The papal view of lawmaking on Capitol Hill is unknown, but Congress you have been warned.
Pope’s Blistering Attack on ‘Haggard’ Europe|Nico Hines|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The holy listicle serves as further proof that the 2013 papal conclave elected Oprah as the new pope.
Call Him ‘Poprah’: Pope Francis’s 10 Commandments for a Happy Life|Asawin Suebsaeng|July 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It is the first time a papal delegation has included clerics of other faiths.
Pope Francis’s Sister Souljah Moment?|Evan Gahr|May 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He lived to see the victim of the church a victor—lived to see his memory honored by a nation freed from papal chains.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 12 (of 12)|Robert G. Ingersoll
As for Rome, no terms of objurgation were too strong for the papal court.
A History of The Inquisition of The Middle Ages; volume I|Henry Charles Lea
How many hundred thousands of the Albigenses, Waldenses, and Bohemians, hath the papal rage consumed!
A Christian Directory (Part 4 of 4)|Richard Baxter
All who had separated from the Papal communion were alike outcasts, cut off from grace, children of perdition.
History of England from the fall of Wolsey to the death of Elizabeth. Vol. III|James Anthony Froude
There arose a number of quasi-independent city states to the north of Rome, the papal capital.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind|Herbert George Wells

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