Lateran

American  

[lat-er-uhn] / ˈlæt ər ən /

noun

1. the church of St. John Lateran, the cathedral church of the city of Rome; the church of the pope as bishop of Rome.

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Lateran British  

/ ˈlætərən /

noun

1. Also called: Lateran palace.  a palace in Rome, formerly the official residence of the popes

2. any of five ecumenical councils held in this palace between 1123 and 1512

3. the basilica of Saint John Lateran, the cathedral church of Rome

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Etymology

Origin of Lateran

from Latin: the district is named after the ancient Roman family Plautii Laterani

Example Sentences

While modern popes live and work in the Vatican, the Lateran church is sometimes referred to in Catholicism as "the mother of all churches".

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2025

From the hostel terrace, we can see the Basilica of St. John Lateran, its imposing statues of Christ, John the Baptist, and John the Evangelist rising above the rooftops.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2025

Responding to that call, the diocese of Rome scheduled a special Mass in honor of Benedict on Friday at St. John Lateran, Benedict’s former basilica in his capacity as the bishop of Rome.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2022

Francesco Zanardi, who heads an Italian survivors’ advocacy group, said Italy must revise its 1929 Lateran Treaty with the Holy See.

From Washington Times • Feb. 21, 2019

The Papal Library was founded by the early popes at the Lateran.

From Walks in Rome by Hare, Augustus J. C.