Wolsey

American  

[wool-zee] / ˈwʊl zi /

noun

1. Thomas, 1475?–1530, English cardinal and statesman.

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Wolsey British  

/ ˈwʊlzɪ /

noun

1. Thomas. ?1475–1530, English cardinal and statesman; archbishop of York (1514–30); lord chancellor (1515–29). He dominated Henry VIII's foreign and domestic policies but his failure to obtain papal consent for the annulment of the king's marriage to Catherine of Aragon led to his arrest for high treason (1530); he died on the journey to face trial

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Example Sentences

A pivotal moment he said was when he was inspired by a show at the Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2025

A monumental bronze candelabrum, weighing more than half a ton and meant for the tomb of the lavish cardinal Thomas Wolsey, was cast in London by an immigrant artist from Florence, Benedetto da Rovezzano.

From New York Times • Oct. 9, 2022

As malign forces gather around Cromwell, Mantel populates his world with ghosts of the departed: his old master Cardinal Wolsey, his nemesis Thomas More.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2022

Wolsey was ousted, as the opportunistic Cromwell then helped guide Henry through a separation with the Catholic Church.

From Washington Post • Sep. 23, 2022

The history writer says this is what Catherine, who is a wife of Henry the Eighth, says to Cardinal Wolsey, who is trying to have her head cut off.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt