Vatican

noun

Vat·​i·​can ˈva-ti-kən 

1

: the papal headquarters in Rome

2

: the papal government

Vatican adjective

Examples of Vatican in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pope Francis to be discharged from hospital on Sunday, Vatican says The area near the entrance of the hospital had been filling up with people on Sunday morning. —Phoebe Natanson, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2025

The pontiff will also make his first public appearance on Sunday at the hospital’s balcony before making his way back to the Casa Santa Marta, his residence since the 2013 conclave, according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni. —Christopher Lamb, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025

Newsweek reached out to the Holy See's Dicastery for Communication via Vatican News for comment. —David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025

The pope this week participated in Lenten spiritual exercises from the hospital, which Vatican officials have said implied a lighter workload. —Colleen Barry, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin (mons) Vāticānus, hill on the west bank of the Tiber, the traditional site of the apostle Peter's tomb, on which a basilica was built in the 4th century

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Vatican

• the Vatican