as in letter
an official writing from the Pope to the Roman Catholic bishops
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as in catholic
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encyclical
Time, 29 May 2025
His most famous encyclical — a high-level papal teaching — addressed workers’ rights and capitalism at the beginning of the industrial revolution and was highlighted by the Vatican in explaining the new pope’s choice of name.
—Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025
Rachel Donadio, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2022
When Trump visited the Vatican in 2017, one of the gifts Francis presented was his encyclical on the environment — a pointed message to a leader who decided to pull the United States from the Paris climate agreement.
—Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for encyclical
Noun
Pope Leo's Style of American Leadership Is a Hopeful Opportunity
This body of thought, which had its most notable appearance in his 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum, introduced the world to a new approach to the social, economic, and political challenges of the day.
—Time, 29 May 2025
His most famous encyclical — a high-level papal teaching — addressed workers’ rights and capitalism at the beginning of the industrial revolution and was highlighted by the Vatican in explaining the new pope’s choice of name.
—Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025
Adjective
Benedict asked in a characteristic passage of a 2007 encyclical on hope.
—Rachel Donadio, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2022
When Trump visited the Vatican in 2017, one of the gifts Francis presented was his encyclical on the environment — a pointed message to a leader who decided to pull the United States from the Paris climate agreement.
—Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for encyclical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encyclical
Noun
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The keychains feature large letters, punctuation or symbols along with metal charms of the Labubus representing the letter.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
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His attempt to fire her, based solely on a referral letter (sent to the Justice Department by Pulte), lacks any factual or legal basis.—
Todd Spangler,
Freep.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The boys were students at St. Aquinas High School, a private catholic school in Fort Lauderdale, which held a prayer service for the crash victims on Monday.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2025
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Modern popes have traveled extensively after their elections, something truly catholic in the original meaning of the word.—
Emmett Coyne,
The Hill,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Through tireless efforts, these lawyers are not only winning cases but also sending a powerful message: that every worker deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and that those who violate these basic rights will be held accountable.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
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The message was from his medical aid group, showing a red line the Israeli military drew through his name.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As a proud dad, the 38-year-old wrote his firstborn a sweet epistle to acknowledge his birthday.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
7 Feb. 2025
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One of the earliest witnesses to the spread of Christianity, the codex features the first epistle of Peter and the Book of Jonah.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN,
3 Apr. 2024
Adjective
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Both include general park rules: no smoking, keep pets on a leash, no littering.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
The Enquirer,
31 Aug. 2025
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Then there are the general internal improvements that are fair to be expected, with Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, and Ron Holland all likely taking a step forward.—
Morten Stig Jensen,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The hearing began at five o’clock that evening, a little more than an hour after Trump’s proclamation was posted publicly.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
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The event also featured a proclamation read by Francine Busby, district representative for California State Senator Catherine Blakespear, acknowledging the local and global significance of the initiative.—
Dawn Giangiulio,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In The Great Miscalculation: The Race to Save New York City’s Citicorp Tower (New York University Press, $27.95), Michael M. Greenburg goes into compendious detail about the debacle.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
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The curious thing about this compendious, scrupulously researched biography, so rich in basketball and cultural lore, is that the best parts are not about basketball at all.—
Thomas Beller,
New York Times,
25 Nov. 2023
Noun
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Kennealy and his team offered a written warning about diminishing shelter capacity to the incoming Healey administration in November 2022, though the missive did not carry any recommendations to curb demand.—
Chris Van Buskirk,
Boston Herald,
25 Aug. 2025
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Rosenberg Research, in its June 13th missive (Breakfast With Dave), calculated that same store retail sales rose +1.6% in Q1, below Q4’s +2.2% growth.—
Robert Barone,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encyclical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encyclical. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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