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

Vatican City prepares for Pope Leo XIV's installation mass Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, will celebrate his inaugural mass on Sunday, according to the Vatican. —Megan Forrester, ABC News, 17 May 2025

The liturgy marks the official beginning of Pope Leo's tenure as head of the Roman Catholic Church. —Jenna Dejong, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025

See more on: Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis More on Pope Leo XIV Top Priority for Pope Leo: Warn the World of the A.I. Threat The Pope’s Florida Brother, a MAGA Disciple, Plans to ‘Tone It Down’ Create your free account and enjoy unlimited access — free for 7 days. —Mitra Taj, New York Times, 17 May 2025

The men were in their early 20s; this was before they were ordained by their respective religious bodies: Snider at Luther Seminary in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Prevost within the Augustinian order of the Roman Catholic Church. —Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 16 May 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