papacy

noun

pa·​pa·​cy ˈpā-pə-sē How to pronounce papacy (audio)
plural papacies
1
: the office of pope
2
: a succession or line of popes
3
: the term of a pope's reign
4
Papacy : the system of government of the Roman Catholic Church of which the pope is the supreme head

Examples of papacy in a Sentence

He was selected by the cardinals for the papacy.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Rome — Pope Leo XIV left hospital Saturday, four days after undergoing lung cancer surgery in a swift return to his duties following the first health scare of his papacy. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 Two papacies and twenty years later, Pope Leo XIV has changed the rules of the game. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 The current itinerary for the trip is ambitious and the longest of his papacy to date, calling for Leo to clock just over 19,000 miles on a dozen flights and two helicopter rides, and a significant altitude change in Peru. — Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026 The ambitious itinerary for the longest trip of his papacy covers just over 19,000 miles, with a dozen flights and two helicopter rides across the three countries, as well as a significant change in altitude in Peru. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for papacy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English papacie, from Medieval Latin papatia, from Late Latin papa pope — more at pope

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of papacy was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing papacy

Browse Nearby Words

papabotte
papacy
papagallo
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Papacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papacy. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

papacy

noun
pa·​pa·​cy ˈpā-pə-sē How to pronounce papacy (audio)
plural papacies
1
: the office of pope
2
: the term of a pope's reign
3
capitalized : the government of the Roman Catholic Church of which the pope is the head

More from Merriam-Webster on papacy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about papacy

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