catholic

adjective

cath·o·lic | \ ˈkath-lik ,

ˈka-thə- \

Definition of catholic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a often capitalized : of, relating to, or forming the church universal

b often capitalized : of, relating to, or forming the ancient undivided Christian church or a church claiming historical continuity from it

c capitalized : roman catholic Her son goes to a Catholic school.

2 : comprehensive, universal especially : broad in sympathies, tastes, or interests a catholic taste in music

Catholic

noun

Cath·o·lic | \ ˈkath-lik ,

ˈka-thə- \

Definition of Catholic (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a person who belongs to the universal Christian church

2 : a member of a Catholic church especially : roman catholic

Other Words from catholic Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about catholic

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Other words from catholic

Adjective

catholically \kə-ˈthä-li-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

catholicize \-ˈthä-lə-ˌsīz

\ verb

Examples of catholic in a Sentence

Adjective

She is a novelist who is catholic in her interests. a museum director with catholic tastes in art

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

But that catholic business model had become much harder to pull off in the face of Amazon’s near-monopoly on e-books and its ever-growing chunk of the physical book market. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Peter Mayer, the Fiery Sage of Publishing," 23 May 2018 But neither of those talking points come close to summing up a man of relentless, zeitgeisty, catholic creative drive. — Noah Johnson, GQ, "Cali Thornhill Dewitt and the Ghosts of Los Angeles," 12 Apr. 2018 Restoration is inherently more ambitious than its partner album, Revamp, which brings in a catholic selection of pop stars to cover John's songs. — Elias Leight, Billboard, "Producer Frank Liddell Explains How Bernie Taupin Tested Him for the Elton John Country Tribute Album," 6 Apr. 2018 Roland was a long-time parishioner of Saint Rose Church in East Hartford and was a devoted catholic man. — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Roland Edward Antil," 25 Feb. 2018

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