papacy

noun

pa·​pa·​cy ˈpā-pə-sē 

plural papacies

1

: the office of pope

2

: a succession or line of popes

3

: the term of a pope's reign

4

Papacy : the system of government of the Roman Catholic Church of which the pope is the supreme head

Examples of papacy in a Sentence

He was selected by the cardinals for the papacy.

Recent Examples on the Web

During his papacy, Leo has been outspoken about peace throughout the world. — Ava Pukatch, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026

The Avignon papacy of the 14th century, a period when several popes resided in what is now southern France, accelerated this evolution. — Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026

The pope was elected 16-months ago and is still carving out a narrative for his papacy. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026

The pope, who has made sounding the alarm about the risks of AI a central part of his 16-month papacy, put the issue at the heart of his visit to France. — Joshua McElwee, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English papacie, from Medieval Latin papatia, from Late Latin papa pope — more at pope

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing papacy

• the papacy

Kids Definition

papacy

noun

pa·​pa·​cy ˈpā-pə-sē 

plural papacies

1

: the office of pope

2

: the term of a pope's reign

3

capitalized : the government of the Roman Catholic Church of which the pope is the head