: of or relating to a pope or to the Roman Catholic Church
also
: resembling a pope or that of a pope
Examples of papal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Set in the halls of the Vatican against the backdrop of a papal conclave, the film stars Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence, a man of faith tormented by personal doubts, and delves inside the secretive power struggles within the Church.
—
Robert Lang, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2024
Pope Francis has made significant changes to the funeral rites that will be observed upon his death, streamlining the rituals to reflect his role as a bishop rather than focusing on his papal status.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
The sportiest pope of recent decades was Pope John Paul II (1979-2005), a keen skier and swimmer who continued to hit the slopes after his election and even built an Olympic swimming pool in the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024
The papal drama has so far garnered almost $28 million in worldwide box office.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for papal 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Robert Lang, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2024
Pope Francis has made significant changes to the funeral rites that will be observed upon his death, streamlining the rituals to reflect his role as a bishop rather than focusing on his papal status.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
The sportiest pope of recent decades was Pope John Paul II (1979-2005), a keen skier and swimmer who continued to hit the slopes after his election and even built an Olympic swimming pool in the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024
The papal drama has so far garnered almost $28 million in worldwide box office.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for papal
Dictionary Entries Near papal
Cite this Entry
“Papal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papal. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share