plural papacies
1
: the office of pope
2
: a succession or line of popes
3
: the term of a pope's reign
4
capitalized
: 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
Pope Francis is the first pontiff to make climate change central to his papacy, and wrote a 2015 encyclical that relied on scientific facts about global warming to deliver a moral call to preserve the planet for future generations.
—
Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024
During Easter week, Francis has also sought to focus on women and renew his dedication to a cornerstone of his papacy: humility.
—Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for papacy 
Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024
During Easter week, Francis has also sought to focus on women and renew his dedication to a cornerstone of his papacy: humility.
—Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for papacy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'papacy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near papacy
Cite this Entry
“Papacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papacy. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
papacy
noun
pa·pa·cy
ˈpā-pə-sē 
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
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