What does "pope" mean?
An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.
Pope
/poʊp/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.
- Grammar: pope is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bishop of rome, pontiff, vicar of christ, abuna.
- Useful contrasts: layperson, secular leader.
- Usage evidence: Even people who don't believe in the Catholic church venerate the Pope as a symbolic leader.
How to use "pope"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pope" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pope" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pope" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pope" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.
"Þa wæs in þa tid Uitalius papa þæs apostolican seðles aldorbiscop."
- 2 Any mulled wine (traditionally including tokay) considered similar and superior to bishop.
"When made with Burgundy or Bordeaux, the mixture was called Bishop; when with old Rhenish, its name was Cardinal; and when with Tokay, it was dignified with the title of Pope."
- 3 Alternative form of pop, a Russian Orthodox priest. alt-of, alternative
"The other Ecclesiastical Orders are distinguish'd into Proto-popes, Popes, (or Priests) and Deacons."
- 4 The whippoorwill (Antrostomus vociferus, syn. Caprimulgus vociferus). US, dialectal, obsolete
"The Whipperwill has so named itself by its nocturnal songs. It is also called the pope, by reason of its darting with great swiftness, from the clouds almost to the ground, and bawling out Pope!"
- 5 Alternative letter-case form of pope. alt-of
"For quotations using this term, see Citations:Pope."
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 the head of the Roman Catholic Church wordnet
- 7 An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.; Any similarly absolute and 'infallible' authority. broadly, ironic, often
"We often say, that every man has a pope in his belly."
- 8 The nighthawk (Chordeiles minor). US, dialectal, rare
"Common Nighthawk... Pope (Conn[ecticut]. From the sound made by its wings while dropping through the air)."
- 9 An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.; Any similar head of a religion. broadly
"In þat yle dwelleth the Pope of hire lawe, þat þei clepen lobassy."
- 10 An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.; A theocrat, a priest-king, including (at first especially) over the imaginary land of Prester John or (now) in figurative and alliterative uses. uncommon
"Eche day there etyn in his court xii erchebeshopis and xx bishopis, and the patriak of Seynt Thomays is as here pope."
- 11 An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.; An effigy of the pope traditionally burnt in Britain on Guy Fawkes' Day and (occasionally) at other times. UK
"This is the only piece in which the author has given a hint of his religion, by ridiculing the ceremony of burning the pope, and by mentioning with some indignation the inscription […]"
- 12 An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.; Pope Day, the present Guy Fawkes Day. US, obsolete
- 13 An honorary title of the Coptic bishop of Alexandria as father and head of his church.
- 14 An honorary title of the Orthodox bishop of Alexandria as father and head of his autocephalous church.
- 15 Any bishop of the early Christian church. historical, obsolete
"1563, 2nd Tome Homelyes, sig. Hh.i All notable Bishops were then called popes."
- 16 The ruffe, a small Eurasian freshwater fish (Gymnocephalus cernua); others of its genus. British
"Byfleet-river, wherein are very large pikes, jack, and tench ; perch, of eighteen inches long ; good carp, large flounders, bream, roach, dace, gudgeons, popes, large chub, and eels."
- 17 The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica). Cornwall, Devon, Scotland, UK, regional
"Alca genus; 6 species, including the razorbill, the penguin, the pope, and others."
- 18 The painted bunting (Passerina ciris). US, regional
"The Pope is of a bright blue round the head; on the throat it is of a fine red, and on the back of a gold green colour, it sings very finely and is the size of a canary bird."
- 19 The red-cowled cardinal (Paroaria dominicana). rare
"From the sketch of the bird which you have sent us, there is no doubt about its being the Pope Grosbeak, which is a species of the Cardinal, but not the crested one."
Verb
- 1 To act as or like a pope. intransitive
"1537, T. Cromwell in R. B. Merriman, Life & Lett. Cromwell (1902), II. 89"
- 2 To convert to Roman Catholicism. colloquial, intransitive
"I'm not going to ‘Pope’ until after the war (if I'm alive)."
Proper Noun
- 1 An English surname transferred from the nickname originating as a nickname.
- 2 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Marengo County, Alabama.
- 3 A number of places in the United States:; A township in Fayette County, Illinois.
- 4 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Allen County, Kentucky.
- 5 A number of places in the United States:; A village in Panola County, Mississippi.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
laypersonsecular leader
Example
"Even people who don't believe in the Catholic church venerate the Pope as a symbolic leader."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pope"?
Common synonyms include: bishop of rome, pontiff, vicar of christ, abuna, antipope, archbishop.
How do you use "pope" in a sentence?
Even people who don't believe in the Catholic church venerate the Pope as a symbolic leader.
How do you pronounce "pope"?
Pronounced /poʊp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English pope, popa, from Old English pāpa, from Vulgar Latin papa (title for priests and bishops, esp. and by 8th c. only the bishop of Rome), from early Byzantine Greek παπᾶς (papâs, title for priests and bishops, especially by 3rd c. the bishop of Alexandria), from late Ancient Greek πάπας (pápas, title for priests and bishops, in the sense of spiritual father), from πάππας (páppas, “papa, daddy”).
Etymology 2
By analogy with bishop (“mulled and spiced wine”).
Etymology 3
From Russian поп (pop), from Old Church Slavonic попъ (popŭ), from Byzantine Greek παπᾶς (papâs) as above.
Etymology 4
Of Onomatopoeic origin.
Etymology 5
From pope; also used in Ireland/Scotland as a surname meaning "papa, father."