# catholic

/ˈkæθɫɪk/ (US) · /kˈæθlɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/catholic
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. wide-ranging

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

including many different things; having wide or varied interests.

For teachers: universal in scope; including or covering a wide diversity of things or interests.

- She has very catholic tastes in music, listening to everything from opera to heavy metal.
- The professor's catholic interests spanned from medieval literature to modern quantum physics, making him a fascinating conversationalist.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun; note the lowercase 'c' to distinguish it from the religious sense.

### 2. religious

adjective · CEFR B1

relating to the Roman Catholic Church.

For teachers: pertaining to the Roman Catholic Church or the whole body of Western Christendom.

- They attend a Catholic church in the city centre every Sunday morning.
- The local Catholic school has seen a significant increase in enrollment over the last decade due to its strong academic reputation.

Usage: Always capitalised when referring to the specific religious denomination.

### 3. a person

noun · CEFR B1

a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

For teachers: a member of the Catholic Church, particularly the Roman Catholic branch.

- He was raised as a Catholic but he does not go to church often now.
- As a devout Catholic, she spent much of her free time volunteering for the parish's outreach programmes.

## Examples

- My neighbor is a Catholic and goes to church every Sunday.
- The local community center is run by a group of Catholics who organize weekly food drives for the homeless.
- While the town has residents of many different faiths, the majority identify as Catholic, which is reflected in the architecture of the central cathedral and the local holiday traditions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.