papal

[ pey-puhl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the pope or the papacy:

   a papal visit to Canada.

2. of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church.

papal

/ ˈpeɪpəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the pope or the papacy

Derived Forms

• ˈpapally, adverb

Other Words From

• papal·ly adverb
• anti·papal adjective
• non·papal adjective
• pseudo·papal adjective
• un·papal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of papal¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word pāpālis. See pope, -al ¹

Example Sentences

Sister Agnes chooses to voice her thoughts to the gathered cardinals only as an act of faith, calling out one of the papal candidates with evidence of his misbehavior.

From Los Angeles Times

London — In the papal thriller “Conclave,” Isabella Rossellini’s character, Sister Agnes, is a woman of few words.

From Los Angeles Times

Starring Ralph Fiennes and set within the private inner sanctum of the Vatican, the movie treats the papal balloting like a thriller.

From Los Angeles Times

Rife with backroom skullduggery among the conniving cardinals, as well as a Pakula-esque penchant for stairwell whisper campaigns among the power brokers, “Conclave” is less of a searching philosophy piece than it is a scandalously twisty papal potboiler.

From Los Angeles Times

It was some of the most direct criticism levelled at the Church by a country’s leaders on the issue during a papal visit, with both King Philippe and Alexander de Croo alluding to the pontiff’s own responsibility in bringing about justice.

From BBC