PAPAL Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

papal

adjective

Definition of papal

as in episcopal

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of papal Some attendees, though, expressed more trepidation about the consecration of new bishops without papal approval. — Noah Labelle, NPR, 2 July 2026 Under the church’s in-house canon law, consecrating a bishop without papal consent incurs an automatic excommunication for both the people administering the consecration and the bishops receiving it. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 Under church law, consecrating bishops without papal approval is considered a schismatic act and carries automatic excommunication for both the bishops being ordained and the bishop performing the ceremony. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 In 1988 the group ordained four bishops without papal approval, which led to their excommunication. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for papal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for papal

Adjective

After returning to the United States, Novakovic attended an Episcopal boarding school in San Antonio, Texas.

— byRachel Cole, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 May 2026
On New Year’s Eve in 1996, Christou followed Deadbeat with a club at a former Episcopal church that was built in 1865.

— Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026

Definition of episcopal

Adjective

Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 May 2026
That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.

— Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026

Definition of pontifical

Adjective

On June 2, 1979, Pope John Paul II set out from Rome on an apostolic journey, as papal trips away from the Vatican are called.

— Paul Elie, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church directed his remarks to university students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, during an 11-day apostolic journey in Africa.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Definition of apostolic

Adjective

The jobs were broken down into around 200 management roles, 67 office or clerical roles, 67 professional, 534 skilled and 133 unskilled.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026
Palo Alto police confirmed the 49ers coach was at fault and said a clerical error led a state database to wrongly blame the other driver, a 21-year-old woman.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 28 July 2026

Definition of clerical

Adjective

In 2002, the FA was forced to change the name of the competition by the Charity Commission — the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales.

— Colin Millar, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Fidan said, however, that the countries would consult on the degree and form of assistance provided following an attack, with operational details still to be determined by a new ministerial committee.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of ministerial

Adjective

Parsi priesthood is hereditary, meaning all the boys here have been born into priestly families.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
Before heading to seminary and taking up the priestly collar, Borba enjoyed red carpets and professional acclaim for his business acumen.

— David Begnaud, CBS News, 15 June 2026

Definition of priestly

Adjective

Doug Pagitt, a pastor and executive director of Vote Common Good, an organization dedicated to Democratic outreach to Catholic and evangelical voters, echoed Warnock's comment.

— Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
In Latin America, right-wing figures like Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Christian evangelical groups in Peru, Costa Rica, and Colombia have similarly championed the anti-trans and anti-gender cause.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of evangelical

Browse Nearby Words

papa

papal

paparazzi

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“Papal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/papal. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of papal

adjective

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