papacy
Americannoun
plural
papacies-
the office, dignity, or jurisdiction of the pope.
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the system of ecclesiastical government in which the pope is recognized as the supreme head.
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the period during which a certain pope is in office.
-
the succession or line of the popes.
noun
-
the office or term of office of a pope
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the system of government in the Roman Catholic Church that has the pope as its head
Other Word Forms
- antipapacy adjective
Etymology
Origin of papacy
1350–1400; Middle English papacie < Medieval Latin pāpātia. See pope, -acy
Explanation
Use the noun papacy when you're talking about the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the particular authority he holds. The papacy supports reducing poverty, but it does not support women becoming priests. The pope is the head of the Catholic Church in Rome, and his office or government is the papacy. You can use the word for official positions the church holds, or to talk about the history of a pope's term. For example, you might say, "The papacy of Pope Benedict XVI ended when he resigned." The root of papacy is the Latin papatia, "papal office," which comes from papa, or "pope."
Vocabulary lists containing papacy
Would E-cigarettes Lose the Smoker's Stigma if Called by Another Name? A Quick Current Events Vocab Quiz
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 20–April 26, 2025
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Guest: Christopher Hale, author of the “Letters from Leo” Substack, “a chronicle of how Pope Leo XIV’s papacy intersects with American politics, faith, and the digital age during the presidency of Donald Trump.”
From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026
A separate U.S. official reportedly brought up the fourteenth-century Avignon papacy.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
The papacy did not formally confirm the order's existence until 1298.
From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2026
Francis's papacy heralded several reforms to the Catholic Church, but on many of its teachings, he was a traditionalist.
From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025
As the papacy lost its hold on its flock, the Catholic Church tried to reject zero and the void more strongly than ever, yet zero had already taken root.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
