the Vatican

noun

1
: the place in Rome where the Pope lives and works
2
: the government of the Roman Catholic Church
The Vatican has announced a new appointment.
a Vatican official

Examples of the Vatican in a Sentence

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.
Leo's ability to make the trip has been in question since his diagnosis, and the Vatican can change the plans at any time. — Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026 News of the pope’s illness has been met with shock and concern inside the Vatican, while raising questions about what this means for his papacy. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 Leo, who is a Chicago native, resumed working from the hospital on Thursday, his doctors and the Vatican reported. — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026 The pope resumed work activities on Thursday, just days after undergoing the operation, the Vatican said. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the Vatican

Browse Nearby Words

the vanguard
the Vatican
Thevetia
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The Vatican.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Vatican. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All