: of or relating to a pope or to the Roman Catholic Church
also
: resembling a pope or that of a pope
Examples of papal in a Sentence
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Established in 1506, the Swiss Guard's mission is to always guard and protect the pope and his official residence, the Apostolic Palace, as well as cardinals who gather during the papal conclave.
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Katie Kindelan, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2025
Among those attending the event was Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor and former Governor of California, who is supporting papal efforts on climate.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Another major reason Denmark didn’t focus on the Americas was a 1493 papal bull from Pope Alexander VI.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
For centuries, the land was the private dwelling of emperors and pontiffs until 2014, when Pope Francis opened the papal gardens to the public.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
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Katie Kindelan, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2025
Among those attending the event was Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor and former Governor of California, who is supporting papal efforts on climate.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Another major reason Denmark didn’t focus on the Americas was a 1493 papal bull from Pope Alexander VI.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
For centuries, the land was the private dwelling of emperors and pontiffs until 2014, when Pope Francis opened the papal gardens to the public.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for papal
Cite this Entry
“Papal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papal. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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