catholic

1 of 2

adjective

cath·​o·​lic ˈkath-lik How to pronounce catholic (audio)
ˈka-thə-
1
a
capitalized : roman catholic
Her son goes to a Catholic school.
b
often capitalized : of, relating to, or forming the church universal
c
often capitalized : of, relating to, or forming the ancient undivided Christian church or a church claiming historical continuity from it
2
: comprehensive, universal
especially : broad in sympathies, tastes, or interests
a catholic taste in music
catholically adverb
catholicize verb

Catholic

2 of 2

noun

Cath·​o·​lic ˈkath-lik How to pronounce Catholic (audio)
ˈka-thə-
1
: a member of a Catholic church
especially : roman catholic
2
: a person who belongs to the universal Christian church

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
In largely catholic Argentina, the Virgin of La Rosa Mística manifests herself in the home of María Belén Ochoa, a trans woman from a village in Córdoba who became the first trans mother in Argentina in 2010 after being visited by the Virgin in a dream. John Hopewell, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024 Other top attractions include Hôtel de Ville, the city’s town hall, and two architectural marvels: the catholic churches of Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur and Église Saint-Jean-de-Malte. Mark Bonte, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
The final report outlined 138 recommendations, including calling for public apologies from New Zealand’s government, as well as the pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury, heads of the Catholic and Anglican churches, respectively, who have condemned child abuse. Reuters, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024 Some eager District 9 voters arrived at St. Bernard Catholic Church before the polls opened at 7 a.m., volunteer greeter Bob Klein of Appleton said. Madison Lammert, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for catholic 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English catholik, from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French catholique, from Late Latin catholicus, from Greek katholikos universal, general, from katholou in general, from kata by + holos whole — more at cata-, safe

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of catholic was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near catholic

Cite this Entry

“Catholic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catholic. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

catholic

1 of 2 adjective
cath·​o·​lic ˈkath-(ə-)lik How to pronounce catholic (audio)
1
capitalized
a
: of or relating to the Christian church as a whole
2
: broad in sympathies, tastes, or interests
a catholic taste in music
Catholicism
kə-ˈthäl-ə-ˌsiz-əm
noun

Catholic

2 of 2 noun
1
2
: a member of the Roman Catholic church

More from Merriam-Webster on catholic

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