catholic

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“
All protestants--wather fully disposed, or ainly half-disposed, as may be the case with the English kirk--all protestants agree in condemning the varry word catholic, which is a sign and a symbol of the foul woman o' Babylon Then, Jamie, they agree in condemning what they don't understand.

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Definitions (28)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (7)

  1. adjective Of broad or liberal scope; comprehensive: "The 100-odd pages of formulas and constants are surely the most catholic to be found” (Scientific American).
  2. adjective Including or concerning all humankind; universal: "what was of catholic rather than national interest” (J.A. Froude).
  3. adjective Of or involving the Roman Catholic Church.
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Examples (50)

  • Philo is loyal to the Jewish tradition not only because he had a deep feeling for what a modern teacher has called the catholic conscience and the historical continuity of Judaism, but because his philosophy was based on a conviction that the Jewish religion was the truest guide to conduct and righteousness and to the love of God. —  Philo-Judaeus of Alexandria
  • Sadly Belgium can no longer be described as a catholic country - I doubt that 50\% of the population now is even nominally catholic! —  CathNews
  • The state conforms to what each holds that is catholic, that is always and everywhere religion; and what ever is not catholic it leaves, as outside of its province, to live or die, according to its own inherent vitality or want of vitality. —  The American Republic : constitution, tendencies and destiny
  • His taste is catholic, and while he delights in the humming birds, he does not therefore scorn the less brilliant hippopotamus. —  By the Christmas Fire
  • For only as a catholic, thoroughly organized, firmly compacted, and conservative institution did it meet his rigid monarchical interest, and afford the splendid state and court dress he wished for his empire. —  The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No 2, August, 1864 Devoted to Literature and National Policy
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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English catholik, universally accepted, from Old French catholique, from Latin catholicus, universal, from Greek katholikos, from katholou, in general : kat-, kata-, down, along, according to; see cata- + holou (from neuter genitive of holos, whole; see sol- in Indo-European roots).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Not found in Middle English or earlier (in Anglo-Saxon the Middle Latin catholicus is translated geleáfful or geleáflīc, i. e., believing, faithful, orthodox); = Dutch catholijk, katholijk, katholick, katholisch = German katholisch, adjective, katholik, n., = Danish katholsk, katholik, = Swedish katolsk, katolik, = French catholique = Provencal catolic = Spanish católico = Portuguese catholico = Italian cattolico (= Russian katolikŭ, n., katolicheskiĭ, adjective, = Turkish qatolik, n.), from Latin catholicus, universal, general (neuter plural catholica, all things together, the universe), in Late Latin and Middle Latin especially ecclesiastical, general, common, that is, as applied to the church (catholica ecclesia or to the faith (catholica fides), orthodox (in Middle Latin commonly used synonymously with Christianus, Christian); from Greek καθολικός, general, universal (ἡ καθολικἠ ἐκκλησία, the universal church), from καθόλου, adverb, on the whole, in general, also as if adjective, general, universal, properly two words, καθ, ὁλου: καθ, for κατ', for κατά, according to; ὁλου, genitive of ο=λος, whole, = Latin sol-id-us, later English solid: see cata-, holo-, and solid.
 

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/ˈkæθəlɪk/
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