What does "papal" mean?

Having to do with the pope or the papacy.

What is a synonym for "papal"?

Common synonyms include: apostolic, apostolical, clerical, ecclesiastical, pontifical, popish.

//ˈpeɪpəl// adj

adj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Adjective

1
Having to do with the pope or the papacy.
"In both the 2005 and 2013 papal elections there were whispers circulating that back in 1976 Francis had failed to help the two priests in their hour of need."

Adjective

1
proceeding from or ordered by or subject to a pope or the papacy regarded as the successor of the Apostles wordnet

"The Papal Nuncio is visiting our bishop."

From Middle English papal, from Old French papal and Medieval Latin pāpālis (“papal”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.