catholic
//ˈkæ.θ(ə.)lɪk//
Forms
- Comparative
- more catholic
- Superlative
- most catholic
- Plural
- catholics
Definitions
1.Universal; all-encompassing.
- The church is catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does, belongs to all.
- Newton Heath depot has lately been catholic in its choice of power for the 6.10 p.m. Manchester-Southport and the 9 p.m. back via Bolton.
- Essentially, and in idea, the empire, in the minds of the Romans, was world-wide. This conception descended to the Church, which was ‘Catholic’ in spite of Buddhists, Confucians, and (later) Muhammadans.
2.All-embracing.
- "I've got catholic tastes. Catholic with a small "c", of course."
3.Of universal human interest or use.
- And this vast number is but a selection ; the editors chose only out of the mass before them what was most noteworthy and trustworthy, and what was of catholic rather than of national interest.
4.Alternative letter-case form of Catholic.
1.A member of a Catholic (western Christian) church.
- The wife of the Prime Minister is a Catholic.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #1971
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From Old French catholique
From Latin catholicus
From Ancient Greek καθολικός (katholikós, “universal”)
From κατά (katá, “according to”) + ὅλος (hólos, “whole”).