catholic

1 of 2

adjective

cath·​o·​lic ˈkath-lik How to pronounce catholic (audio)
ˈka-thə-
1
a
capitalized : roman catholic
Her son goes to a Catholic school.
b
often capitalized : of, relating to, or forming the church universal
c
often capitalized : of, relating to, or forming the ancient undivided Christian church or a church claiming historical continuity from it
2
: comprehensive, universal
especially : broad in sympathies, tastes, or interests
a catholic taste in music
catholically adverb
catholicize verb

Catholic

2 of 2

noun

Cath·​o·​lic ˈkath-lik How to pronounce Catholic (audio)
ˈka-thə-
1
: a member of a Catholic church
especially : roman catholic
2
: a person who belongs to the universal Christian church

Examples of catholic in a Sentence

Adjective She is a novelist who is catholic in her interests. a museum director with catholic tastes in art
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Team parents have made efforts to contact the superintendent of Archdiocese for support but got response that John Carroll is an independent catholic school. Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 14 July 2023 Aclose friend, an art historian with good, catholic taste, sent me a text message from the high-end opening of the Armory Show. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 15 Sep. 2022 Only God can enlighten the hearts of the faithful to preserve us in the profession of the same catholic faith. Fr. Goran Jovicic, National Review, 13 June 2021 These catholic tastes are unusual, especially since herpesviruses usually stick to one specific host. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2012 Play is the substrate of autoconstrucción and its driving force, even as Cruzvillegas alternately breaks up and buttresses the idea with a catholic range of historical and artistic touchpoints, interests and memories. Christina Catherine Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2022 The opponents received the bulk of their money from Right to Life Michigan and the state's catholic conference. Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 29 Oct. 2022 Godard, along with his friends and colleagues François Truffaut, Jacques Rivette, Claude Chabrol, and Éric Rohmer (who was also the group’s elder statesman) shared a catholic love of movies. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2022 But his photography is at the heart of his catholic creativity. Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 9 June 2022
Noun
The Catholic Church was an epicenter of Milwaukee's civil rights movement, supplying food, lodging, medical attention and a place for activists to gather during the marches. Journal Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2024 Pressure from the Catholic Church and constituents from Black communities with historic distrust of the medical system have swayed some legislators to oppose the bill. Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 Preview: Fallbrook, which lost to Cathedral Catholic 60-50 in the CIF San Diego Section Division 1 semifinals, is led by Claire Nordeen, who averages 19.1 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.7 steals per game. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2024 The Catholic Church was one of the few groups to announce its opposition to the amendment. Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 As a devoted Catholic and a liberal Democrat, he was torn between two creeds. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Gianni Mirabello, Northwest Catholic: Mirabello had 31 points in an 86-77 win over Hall Wednesday. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024 In America, graduates of Catholic schools may find the restrictive behavior reminiscent of their own uniforms. Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 The win also came exactly one year after Cathedral lost to Mater Dei Catholic in the Division 1 semis. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catholic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English catholik, from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French catholique, from Late Latin catholicus, from Greek katholikos universal, general, from katholou in general, from kata by + holos whole — more at cata-, safe

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of catholic was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near catholic

Cite this Entry

“Catholic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catholic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

catholic

1 of 2 adjective
cath·​o·​lic ˈkath-(ə-)lik How to pronounce catholic (audio)
1
capitalized
a
: of or relating to the Christian church as a whole
2
: broad in sympathies, tastes, or interests
a catholic taste in music
Catholicism
kə-ˈthäl-ə-ˌsiz-əm
noun

Catholic

2 of 2 noun
1
2
: a member of the Roman Catholic church

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