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

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

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 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

With help from a basketball scholarship, he majored in biology at Seattle University, a Roman Catholic school.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 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

She was glad to leave, but insisted that she would not reconvert, and for the rest of her days remained a Roman Catholic.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy