Roman Catholic

American  

adjective

1. of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church.

---

noun

1. a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

Roman Catholic British  

adjective

1. of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church

---

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

On the other hand, at the local Roman Catholic church down the street from our house, the priest took a long look at my son and me, and immediately separated us.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026

But even if you don’t believe any of that, Leo is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest organization on Earth spreading that message of absolution through belief.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

As Roosevelt moved the U.S. toward intervention, he sent an envoy to the Vatican, hoping to craft global, ecumenical religious alliances—and there was no alliance he coveted more than with the Roman Catholic Church.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

The land was owned for decades by the Little Sisters of the Poor, a group of Roman Catholic nuns providing elder care.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 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