Roman Catholic

1 of 2

noun

: a member of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or being a Christian church having a hierarchy of priests and bishops under the pope, a liturgy centered in the Mass, veneration of the Virgin Mary and saints, clerical celibacy, and a body of dogma including transubstantiation and papal infallibility

Examples of Roman Catholic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Vatican announced on Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV would go to Lebanon and Turkey next month, his first trip abroad as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. —New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

The late Duchess of Kent was Roman Catholic, and her funeral was historic as the first Catholic funeral for a member of the British royal family in modern history. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025

Now, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa have announced plans to open a Catholic virtual school in Oklahoma. —Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Jarryd Gonzales, spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, confirmed the incident and thanked local law enforcement for their prompt action. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1581, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1614, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Roman Catholic

adjective

: of or relating to the body of Christians having levels of authority under the pope, a liturgy centered in the Mass, and a body of beliefs laid down by the church as the only interpreter of revealed truth

Roman Catholic noun

Roman Catholicism noun