papal
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to the pope or the papacy.
a papal visit to Canada.
-
of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of papal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word pāpālis. See pope, -al 1
Explanation
Anything papal has to do to with the Pope, such as papal orders or papal ceremonies. The Catholic Church is led by the Pope. His office is the papacy, and anything that is ordered by the Pope or involving the Pope can be called papal. The papal robes are ornamental and beautiful. The power of the Pope can be called the papal authority. Someone who represents the Pope is a papal representative. Anything papal can also be referred to as pontifical or apostolic, since the Pope is considered the modern version of Jesus' apostles.
Vocabulary lists containing papal
Vocabulary from the Magna Carta on its 800th Anniversary
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Top 50 Wordle Words of 2024
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"The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Pardoner's Prologue
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Since becoming vice-president, he has occasionally tangled with Pope Leo and his papal predecessor Francis, on issues including the Trump administration's immigration policy.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Licence's research suggests that England's support for a rival papal faction could have helped convince Alexander to support the Norman invasion.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
The Vatican declared a formal schism with the Society of St. Pius X, excommunicating its bishops and priests for consecrating four bishops without papal consent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
After a recent spate of papal trips throughout Italy and abroad, including a visit to Africa in April and Spain in June, he will head to France next week, from September 25 through 28.
From Barron's
The upshot was that a papal commission was set up to look into the affair.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
