as in letter
an official writing from the Pope to the Roman Catholic bishops
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as in catholic
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encyclical
Jeff Brady, NPR, 21 Apr. 2025
Benedict asked in a characteristic passage of a 2007 encyclical on hope.
—Rachel Donadio, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2022
Rachel Ramirez, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025
In 2015, Francis published the first papal encyclical to be focused on the environment: Laudato Si.
—Charles Creitz, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encyclical
Noun
Francis' climate encyclical inspired several Catholic climate groups to form, including The Global Catholic Climate Movement, which is now called the Laudato Si' Movement.
—Jeff Brady, NPR, 21 Apr. 2025
Benedict asked in a characteristic passage of a 2007 encyclical on hope.
—Rachel Donadio, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2022
Adjective
The 12-page document was the pope’s strongest statement following the encyclical.
—Rachel Ramirez, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025
In 2015, Francis published the first papal encyclical to be focused on the environment: Laudato Si.
—Charles Creitz, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encyclical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encyclical
Noun
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Busfield has since received dozens of letters of support, which were presented as evidence during his pre-trial hearing in January.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
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Sybil lives alone and spends her days fountain-penning personal letters and occasional emails that tell the story of her loves, losses, sorrows and deep regrets, through her alternately curmudgeonly and generous-hearted persona.—
Patricia Steckler,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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From time immemorial bad men have attempted and will continue to usurp the will of the people; the cycle of the oppressed becoming oppressor is catholic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
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Allen has always had a catholic approach to musical style, and that attitude serves the emotional spectrum of West End Girl well, with the stages of relationship grief and personal humiliation echoed by the music surrounding her.—
Maura Johnston,
Rolling Stone,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In preseason this was the overriding message to a roster that returns more than 20 players from last year, notably more than recent groups.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Better communication with local businesses, more visible signage, event notifications and routing messages would also help reduce confusion for residents, park visitors and sports fans.—
Jay Derr,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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At one point, the council did consider several options, including the creation of an inclusionary zoning ordinance, which would require companies building new residential developments include a minimum number of units affordable to people earning below the average median income for the area.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
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City officials have argued that higher rents could improve the feasibility of projects, with Mahan also pointing out that only about 10% of projects subject to the inclusionary housing requirement were built, and that none of those specific developments included units at 30% AMI.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As a proud dad, the 38-year-old wrote his firstborn a sweet epistle to acknowledge his birthday.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
7 Feb. 2025
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One of the earliest witnesses to the spread of Christianity, the codex features the first epistle of Peter and the Book of Jonah.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN,
3 Apr. 2024
Adjective
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The two Spinosaurus species, which were contemporaneous, shared the same general body plan including long dorsal spines forming the sail-like structure and a skull adapted for hunting fish.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
-
In person, Melling is naturally curious, freely solicitous of my opinions about the film or book recommendations in general.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In December 1944, with WWII drawing to an end, a Supreme Court ruling and a public proclamation paved the way for the camps to close.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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With the Epstein story approaching the 10-year mark as a global preoccupation, this nth phase of the intrigue, largely prompted by fallout from the Department of Justice’s July proclamation that there were no further criminal charges in the works, has spawned a potent cottage industry.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Campillo and other critics call that shift a bait-and-switch, and Campillo’s proposal seeks to prevent a repeat by requiring any ballot measure that could create a new fee — or raise an existing one — to undergo a comprehensive analysis long before voters weigh in.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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During the course of 19 negotiating sessions since September, the Guild has offered the staff union comprehensive proposals with numerous union protections and improvements to compensation and working conditions.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encyclical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encyclical. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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