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.
Garcia Cuerva has billed the new papal visit as a chance to mend divisions in Argentine society, between the rich and poor, left and right.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
The papal trip "will serve as a reminder that we're not as forgotten as we think," said the 29-year-old father of six, who works informal jobs.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
Pope Leo XIV is about to embark on one of the most ambitious papal foreign trips in decades, touring Uruguay, Argentina and his adopted homeland Peru, despite recent lung cancer surgery.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
The 2023 Alexandria Document was an important step toward a joint understanding of papal authority, though not all Orthodox churches ratified the statement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
In Silvester the Second a famous magician ascended the papal throne, although he was notorious for having invented the pendulum dock.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
