# Catholicism

/kəˈθɔɫəˌsɪzəm/ (US)

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

## Senses

### 1. religious faith

noun · CEFR B2

the beliefs, traditions, and organization of the Catholic Church, especially the Roman Catholic Church.

For teachers: the faith, system, and practice of the Catholic Church, typically referring to the Roman Catholic branch. Uncountable in this sense.

- His family has a long history of Catholicism and attends church every Sunday.
- The history of European art is deeply intertwined with Catholicism, as the Church was the primary patron of painters and architects for centuries.

### 2. broadness of taste

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Literary

the quality of having wide and varied interests or tastes.

For teachers: the state or quality of being universal or wide-ranging in scope; liberality of sentiment or breadth of view.

- The professor was known for the catholicism of his interests, ranging from jazz to physics.
- The library was a testament to the collector's intellectual catholicism, housing rare manuscripts alongside modern scientific journals.

## Examples

- Catholicism is the largest Christian denomination in the world.
- The history of Catholicism in Europe is deeply tied to the political power of the Vatican.
- Scholars often examine how Catholicism adapted its rituals to local cultures during the colonial expansion of the sixteenth century.

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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.