pope

noun

ˈpōp 

1

often capitalized : a prelate who as bishop of Rome is the head of the Roman Catholic Church

2

: one that resembles a pope (as in authority)

3

a

: the Eastern Orthodox or Coptic patriarch of Alexandria

b

: a priest of an Eastern church

Examples of pope in a Sentence

The cardinals elected a new pope.

Recent Examples on the Web

While the presence of a new pope has drawn speculation about whether the pilgrimage will open doors for dialogue, SSPX has been preparing for the trip since before Pope Francis’s death in April. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2025

Since his papacy began in May, the pope has been robust in his criticisms of Israel’s war in Gaza, consistently voicing his concern for Palestinian civilians facing Israeli bombardment. —Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2025

There were a lot of expectations for the next pope to continue Francis' legacy, including being vocal about the war in Gaza, standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump over his immigration policies, and bringing new generations into the faith. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025

Footage shared online showed the pope riding in a vehicle, making his way through a crowd. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English pāpa, from Late Latin papa, from Greek pappas, papas, title of bishops, literally, papa

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pope

• cope
• dope
• grope
• lope
• mope
• nope
• rope
• scope
• shope
• slope
• soap
• stope

Kids Definition

pope

noun

ˈpōp 

often capitalized

: the head of the Roman Catholic Church

Biographical Definition

Pope 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈpōp 

Alexander 1688–1744 English poet

Popian adjective

or less commonly Popean

ˈpō-pē-ən 

Pope

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

John 1822–1892 American general