- of or relating to the pope or the papacy
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pa•pal /ˈpeɪpəl/USA pronunciation
adj. [before a noun]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Religionof or relating to the pope or the papacy.
- Religionof or relating to the Roman Catholic Church.
pa•pal
(pā′pəl),USA pronunciation adj.
pa′pal•ly, adv.
- Religionof or pertaining to the pope or the papacy:a papal visit to Canada.
- Religionof or pertaining to the Roman Catholic Church.
- Medieval Latin pāpālis. See pope, -al1
- Middle English 1350–1400
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
papal /ˈpeɪpəl/ adj
'papal' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Benevento
- brief
- bulletin
- canon law
- cantaloupe
- Catherine of Aragon
- Clement V
- congregation
- curia
- decretal
- Gregory VII
- John Paul I
- Julius II
- nepotism
- Nicholas I
- Papal States
- Peter's pence
- Pius VI
- Pius VII
- pope
- Port Royal
- Romagna
- Sarpi
- States of the Church
- Tannhäuser
- Tetzel
- Uniat
- urbi et orbi
- Vatican
- Vatican City
- apostolic
- Avignon
- bull
- bulla
- bullarium
- Castel Gandolfo
- crusade
- datary
- exequatur
- Gallican
- Gallicanism
- Great Schism
- Holy See
- internuncio
- Lateran Palace
- mantellone
- Old Catholic
- papal bull
- papal cross
- papal infallibility