broad or wide-ranging in tastes, interests, or the like; having sympathies with all; broad-minded; liberal.
2.
universal in extent; involving all; of interest to all.
3.
pertaining to the whole Christian body or church.
[Origin: 1300–1350; ME < L catholicus < Gk katholikós general, equiv. to kathól(ou) universally (contr. of phrase katà hólou according to the whole; see cata-, holo-) + -ikos-ic]
of or pertaining to a Catholic church, esp. the Roman Catholic Church.
2.
Theology.
a.
(among Roman Catholics) claiming to possess exclusively the notes or characteristics of the one, only, true, and universal church having unity, visibility, indefectibility, apostolic succession, universality, and sanctity: used in this sense, with these qualifications, only by the Church of Rome, as applicable only to itself and its adherents and to their faith and organization; often qualified, especially by those not acknowledging these claims, by prefixing the word Roman.
b.
(among Anglo-Catholics) noting or pertaining to the conception of the church as the body representing the ancient undivided Christian witness, comprising all the orthodox churches that have kept the apostolic succession of bishops, and including the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, Church of Sweden, the Old Catholic Church (in the Netherlands and elsewhere), etc.
3.
pertaining to the Western Church.
–noun
4.
a member of a Catholic church, esp. of the Roman Catholic Church.
Of broad or liberal scope; comprehensive: "The 100-odd pages of formulas and constants are surely the most catholic to be found"(Scientific American).
Including or concerning all humankind; universal: "what was of catholic rather than national interest"(J.A. Froude).
Catholic
Of or involving the Roman Catholic Church.
Of or relating to the universal Christian church.
Of or relating to the ancient undivided Christian church.
Of or relating to those churches that have claimed to be representatives of the ancient undivided church.
n.
Catholic
A member of a Catholic church, especially a Roman 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; see cata- + holou (from neuter genitive of holos, whole; see sol- in Indo-European roots).]
c.1350, "of the doctrines of the ancient Church," lit. "universally accepted," from L.L. catholicus "universal, general," from Gk. katholikos, from phrase kath' holou, from kata "about" + gen. of holos "whole" (see safe (adj.)). Applied to the Church in Rome c.1554, after the Reformation.
Cath"o*lic\ (k[a^]th"[-o]*[i^]k), a. [L. catholicus, Gr. kaqoliko`s, universal, general; kata` down, wholly + "o`los whole, probably akin to E. solid: cf. F. catholique.]1. Universal or general; as, the catholic faith. Men of other countries [came] to bear their part in so great and catholic a war. --Southey. Note: This epithet, which is applicable to the whole Christian church, or its faith, is claimed by Roman Catholics to belong especially to their church, and in popular usage is so limited. 2. Not narrow-minded, partial, or bigoted; liberal; as, catholic tastes. 3. Of or pertaining to, or affecting the Roman Catholics; as, the Catholic emancipation act. Catholic epistles, the epistles of the apostles which are addressed to all the faithful, and not to a particular church; being those of James, Peter, Jude, and John.
Cath"o*lic\, n. 1. A person who accepts the creeds which are received in common by all parts of the orthodox Christian church. 2. An adherent of the Roman Catholic church; a Roman Catholic. Old Catholic, the name assumed in 1870 by members of the Roman Catholic church, who denied the ecumenical character of the Vatican Council, and rejected its decrees, esp. that concerning the infallibility of the pope, as contrary to the ancient Catholic faith.
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