pope

pope — noun

1. a name used for the chief bishop based in Rome who guides the worldwide Catholic

1.nounB2
Definition

a name used for the chief bishop based in Rome who guides the worldwide Catholic Church.

Example

Many pilgrims waited in St Peter's Square to see the pope.

Pope Francis met young volunteers during a visit to Lisbon.

title before a personal name

Common collocations
  • new pope
  • elect a pope
  • the pope's message
  • the pope's visit
  • see the pope
Synonyms
  • pontiff

    more formal and common in journalism or religious writing

  • Holy Father

    a respectful Catholic form of address, not a neutral general synonym

  • bishop of Rome

    an official title that emphasizes the pope's position in Rome

Grammar Patterns

the pope

Pope + name

elect a pope

Usage Note

Usually written with a capital letter before a name, as in 'Pope Francis', but lower-case after 'the'. News reports often use it both for the office and for the person holding that office.

Common Mistakes

The Pope Francis spoke at noon.
Pope Francis spoke at noon.
do not use 'the' before the title when it comes directly before a name.
The pope are visiting Brazil this week.
The pope is visiting Brazil this week.
the noun is singular when it means one church leader.
Idioms

Is the Pope (a) Catholic?

idiom

This phrase is used to show that something is certainly true.

When asked if the sun rises in the east, Dad replied, "Is the Pope Catholic?"

Maya laughed and said, "Is the Pope Catholic?" after I asked if she wanted cake.

Word family

  • papal
    adjectiveC1
  • papacy
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Pope' is the standard neutral word for the head of the Roman Catholic Church. 'Pontiff' means the same person, but it sounds more formal and appears more often in news reports or religious writing. 'Holy Father' is a respectful Catholic title used when speaking to or about the pope in a devotional context, so it is not the best choice for neutral explanation. 'Bishop of Rome' is an official title that points to the pope's role in the city of Rome and in church tradition. You might read 'the pope addressed the crowd', 'the pontiff arrived in Lisbon', or hear Catholics say 'the Holy Father will lead Mass tonight'.

pope ↗pontiffHoly Fatherbishop of Rome

Common collocations

Nouns

  • new pope
  • pope's message
  • pope's visit
  • pope election

Phrases

  • the pope
  • Pope + name
  • elect a pope
  • see the pope

Etymology

GreekLatinOld EnglishEnglish

English inherited this word from an old church term that developed through Latin. Its earlier source is Greek pappas, a word meaning 'father'. Over time, the word became the usual title in Western Christianity for the Bishop of Rome, and English kept that specialized meaning.