pope

noun

ˈpōp 

1

often capitalized : a prelate who as bishop of Rome is the head of the Roman Catholic Church

2

: one that resembles a pope (as in authority)

3

a

: the Eastern Orthodox or Coptic patriarch of Alexandria

b

: a priest of an Eastern church

Examples of pope in a Sentence

The cardinals elected a new pope.

Recent Examples on the Web

Several Christian groups in the United States have also called for prayers for the pope. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025

The Vatican hasn’t specified what type of respiratory tract infection the pope has. —Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025

The pope has been suffering from bronchitis for more than a week. —Joshua McElwee, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025

The process of selecting the next pope is turned into a taught, twisty, paranoid thriller. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English pāpa, from Late Latin papa, from Greek pappas, papas, title of bishops, literally, papa

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pope

noun

ˈpōp 

often capitalized

: the head of the Roman Catholic Church

Biographical Definition

Pope 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈpōp 

Alexander 1688–1744 English poet

Popian adjective

or less commonly Popean

ˈpō-pē-ən 

Pope

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

John 1822–1892 American general