Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

antipope

noun
an·​ti·​pope | \ˈan-ti-ˌpōp \

Definition of antipope 

: one elected or claiming to be pope in opposition to the pope canonically chosen

Examples of antipope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 The oldest item in the show is a 12th-century parchment papal bull, signed by the reigning pope, Anastasius IV; three future popes; one future antipope; and one future saint. — Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, "Not Your Average Autograph Collection," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'antipope.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of antipope

15th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for antipope

Middle English antepope, from Middle French antipape, from Medieval Latin antipapa, from anti- + papa pope

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about antipope

Statistics for antipope

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for antipope

The first known use of antipope was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

More from Merriam-Webster on antipope

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with antipope

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about antipope

Comments on antipope

What made you want to look up antipope? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

zibeline

a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Late Autumn 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

  • frosted-autumn-leaves
  • Which is a synonym of yahoo?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games