pope

noun

ˈpōp 

1

often Pope : 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

The 70-year-old pope, who is the youngest pontiff since John Paul II was elected aged 58, is presiding at more Christmas services than his immediate predecessors, restoring the tradition of celebrating a Mass on Christmas Day, the first time since 1994. —Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025

The pope has often commented on the Russia-Ukraine War, highlighting the humanitarian toll being suffered without a peace deal. —Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 25 Dec. 2025

The pope urged protection for refugees, victims of climate disasters, the unemployed and the exploited, according to the New York Times. —Miami Herald, 25 Dec. 2025

In a Christmas Eve sermon on Wednesday, the pope said refusing to help the poor and strangers was tantamount to rejecting God himself. —Reuters, NBC news, 25 Dec. 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

ˈpō-pē-ən 

adjective

or less commonly Popean

Pope

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

John 1822–1892 American general