Roman Catholic

American  

adjective

1. of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church.

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noun

1. a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

Roman Catholic British  

adjective

1. of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church

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noun

1. a member of this Church

Etymology

Origin of Roman Catholic

First recorded in 1595–1605

Compare meaning

How does roman-catholic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Eastern Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic

Example Sentences

Joyce’s works had never been placed on the Vatican’s Index of Forbidden Books, but for decades after independence in 1922 they and countless others met opposition from the Roman Catholic Church.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

One graduate student, Patrick, is a devoted Roman Catholic, unquestioning in his faith.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Pope Leo, the first American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, told journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo: "Today... there was this threat against all the people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable."

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

He wanted to offer Holy Communion, the central sacrament of Roman Catholic faith, not only to the detainees inside the facility, but also to the federal agents stationed there.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

A priest I once heard in a white middle-class parish defended the reformed liturgy by saying that it had become necessary to ‘de-Europeanize’ the Roman Catholic Church.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez