Catholic Definition

kăthə-lĭk, kăthlĭk
adjective
Of general scope or value; all-inclusive; universal.
Webster's New World
Broad in sympathies, tastes, or understanding; liberal.
Webster's New World
Of the Christian church headed by the pope; Roman Catholic.
Webster's New World
Of the Christian church as a whole; specif., of the ancient, undivided Christian church.
Webster's New World
Of any of the orthodox Christian churches, including the Roman, Greek Orthodox, Anglo-Catholic, etc., as distinguished from the Reformed or Protestant churches.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
noun
A member of the universal Christian church.
Webster's New World
A member of any of the Catholic churches; esp., a Roman Catholic.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Catholic

Noun

Singular:
catholic
Plural:
catholics

Origin of Catholic

  • Middle English catholik universally accepted from Old French catholique from Latin catholicus universal from Greek katholikos from katholou in general kat-, kata- down, along, according to cata– holou (from) (neuter genitive of holos whole sol- in Indo-European roots)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French catholique, from Latin catholicus, from Ancient Greek καθολικός (katholikos, “universal”), from κατά (kata, “according to”) + ὅλος (holos, “whole”)

    From Wiktionary

  • From Old French catholique, from Latin catholicus, from Ancient Greek καθολικός (katholikos), from κατά (kata, “according to”) + ὅλος (holos, “whole”)

    From Wiktionary

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