PAPAL Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

papal

adjective

Definition of papal

as in episcopal

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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 best family offices do not treat trust administration as clerical work.

— Michael Gold CFP, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Critics of Iran's clerical rulers hoped initially that Iran's government would collapse amid a bombing campaign that killed Iran's most senior military and religious officials, including its supreme leader.

— Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of clerical

Adjective

Wong on Tuesday announced in the parliament that ministerial salaries will be adjusted upwards, having remained unchanged for 15 years.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
The announcement sparked backlash on social media in a country where high ministerial salaries are a sensitive topic, with the median monthly income at S$5,775 ($4,500) last year.

— John Liu, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of ministerial

Adjective

The Illinois native returned to his priestly roots with his last TV appearance as Father Tobias on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives.

— Rachel Flynn, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Parsi priesthood is hereditary, meaning all the boys here have been born into priestly families.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 21 June 2026

Definition of priestly

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 11 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of papal

adjective

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