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

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
narrow-minded
uncatholic
specific
noncatholic
sectarian
narrow
local

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