: 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Pope Leo wears more traditional papal clothing than Francis and is less critical than his predecessor of the Latin Mass — a major issue for some Catholic conservatives.
—
Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
The pope ignoring atrocities The papal mission appears to have overlooked a visit to Nigeria.
—Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
The American pope delivered the tribute in Italian while speaking with reporters aboard the papal plane heading from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, the final leg of his four-nation African trip.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Formosus’ corpse was found guilty of violating papal law.
—Jane Bua, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
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Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
The pope ignoring atrocities The papal mission appears to have overlooked a visit to Nigeria.
—Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
The American pope delivered the tribute in Italian while speaking with reporters aboard the papal plane heading from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, the final leg of his four-nation African trip.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Formosus’ corpse was found guilty of violating papal law.
—Jane Bua, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for papal
Cite this Entry
“Papal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papal. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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