papacy

[ pey-puh-see ]
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noun,plural pa·pa·cies.Roman Catholic Church.
  1. the office, dignity, or jurisdiction of the pope.

  2. the system of ecclesiastical government in which the pope is recognized as the supreme head.

  1. the period during which a certain pope is in office.

  2. the succession or line of the popes.

Origin of papacy

1
1350–1400; Middle English papacie<Medieval Latin pāpātia.See pope, -acy

Other words from papacy

  • an·ti·pa·pa·cy, adjective

Words Nearby papacy

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How to use papacy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for papacy

papacy

/ (ˈpeɪpəsɪ) /


nounplural -cies
  1. the office or term of office of a pope

  2. the system of government in the Roman Catholic Church that has the pope as its head

Origin of papacy

1
C14: from Medieval Latin pāpātia, from pāpa pope 1

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 papacy

papacy

The office or position of the pope.

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.