papacy

noun pa·pa·cy \ ˈpā-pə-sē \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of papacy

plural papacies

1 : the office of pope

2 : a succession or line of popes

3 : the term of a pope's reign

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

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Examples of papacy in a Sentence

He was selected by the cardinals for the papacy.

Recent Examples of papacy from the Web

Colbert’s goal was not only to create a prestigious library, filled with Oriental works, but also to find ammunition in the French crown’s brutal conflict with Protestants and its constant conflicts with the papacy over taxes and jurisdiction.

— jacob soll, The New Republic, "How Islam Shaped the Enlightenment," 12 Apr. 2018
Francis focused on reconciliation, or confession, during his homily Sunday for an annual Mass in St. Peter's Square dedicated to mercy, a signature theme of his papacy.

— Fox News, "Pope focuses on reconciliation in Mass dedicated to mercy," 8 Apr. 2018
In his almost five-year-old papacy, Francis has stressed the Catholic church’s mission to welcome vulnerable and marginalized people.

— frances d'emilio, The Seattle Times, "Pope: It’s a sin if fear makes us hostile to migrants," 14 Jan. 2018
Then again, after the Italians' centuries-long hold on the papacy, no one predicted the rise of Polish, German and Argentine pontiffs.

— patricia montemurri, Detroit Free Press, "Can Cardinal Joe, a native Detroiter, rise to become 1st American pope?," 1 Apr. 2018
AFP Newslook Five years after Pope Francis ascended to the papacy, a new survey of U.S. Catholics reports that most still harbor warm feelings toward the pontiff — but his popularity is waning among political conservatives.

— jack jenkins, USA TODAY, "Pope Francis is still popular, but warm feelings waning among conservatives, survey finds," 7 Mar. 2018
In 2013, Pope Francis officially began his ministry as the 266th pope, receiving the ring symbolizing the papacy and a wool stole exemplifying his role as shepherd of his 1.2-billion strong flock during a Mass at the Vatican.

— BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 19 Mar. 2018
The gesture set the stage for a papacy of simple, humble gestures. —Nov.

— nicole winfield, Fox News, "Some fun facts about Pope Francis at the 5-year mark," 12 Mar. 2018
Overall, 84% of Catholics in the U.S. hold a favorable opinion of the pope, a figure that has changed little since 2014, the first full year of his papacy.

— ian lovett, WSJ, "U.S. Catholics Continue to View Pope Francis Favorably, Survey Shows," 6 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of papacy

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

PAPACY Defined for English Language Learners

papacy

noun

Definition of papacy for English Language Learners

the papacy : the office or position of the pope
: the time when a particular pope is in power

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PAPACY Defined for English Language Learners

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