papacy

noun

pa·​pa·​cy ˈpā-pə-sē How to pronounce papacy (audio)
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

Examples of papacy in a Sentence

He was selected by the cardinals for the papacy.
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.
The small town about 15 miles south of the Vatican has hosted popes for the summer dating back to the 1600s, but Pope Francis never took a summer vacation during his 12-year papacy. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 6 July 2025 During his papacy, he was praised and criticized for commenting on political issues, from immigration to LGBTQ issues. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 However, the continuities are significantly more profound than the mere order of their papacies. Raúl E. Zegarra, Time, 17 May 2025 Sunday, May 18: Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend Pope Leo XIV’s first Mass of his papacy. Cate Martel, The Hill, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for papacy

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Papacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papacy. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

papacy

noun
pa·​pa·​cy ˈpā-pə-sē How to pronounce papacy (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on papacy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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