encyclical

[ en-sik-li-kuhl, -sahy-kli- ]

noun
  1. Roman Catholic Church. a letter addressed by the pope to all the bishops of the church.

adjective
  1. (of a letter) intended for wide or general circulation; general.

Origin of encyclical

1
1610–20; <Late Latin encyclicus (<Greek enkýklios, with -icus-ic for -ios, equivalent to en-en-2 + kýkl(os) circle, cycle + -ios adj. suffix) + -al1
  • Also en·cyc·lic .

Words Nearby encyclical

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How to use encyclical in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for encyclical

encyclical

/ (ɛnˈsɪklɪkəl) /


noun
  1. a letter sent by the pope to all Roman Catholic bishops throughout the world

adjectiveAlso: encyclic
  1. (of letters) intended for general or wide circulation

Origin of encyclical

1
C17: from Late Latin encyclicus, from Greek enkuklios general, from kuklos circle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for encyclical

encyclical

[ (en-sik-li-kuhl) ]


A letter from the pope to the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, in which he lays down policy on religious, moral, or political issues.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.