# Vatican

/ˈvætɪkən/ (US)

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

## Senses

### 1. the city-state

noun · CEFR B2

the smallest independent country in the world, located inside the city of Rome.

For teachers: the Vatican City State; a sovereign city-state enclave within Rome, Italy, serving as the temporal seat of the papacy.

- Thousands of tourists visit the Vatican every day to see the museums.
- Although it is the smallest country in the world, the Vatican maintains its own postal service, pharmacy, and security force.

### 2. the church leadership

noun · CEFR B2

the government and authority of the Roman Catholic Church.

For teachers: the central administration of the Roman Catholic Church; the Holy See or the papacy used metonymically.

- The Vatican issued a statement about world peace this morning.
- Diplomatic relations between the two nations improved significantly after the Vatican offered to mediate the long-standing border dispute.

### 3. the palace

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the group of buildings where the Pope lives and works.

For teachers: the Apostolic Palace; the official residence of the Pope within Vatican City.

- The Pope appeared at the window of the Vatican to greet the crowd.
- The architecture of the Vatican reflects centuries of artistic patronage, housing some of the most significant Renaissance frescoes in existence.

### 4. relating to the Vatican

adjective · CEFR B2

describing something that belongs to or comes from the Vatican.

For teachers: pertaining to the Vatican City State or the Holy See; non-gradable.

- He is an expert in Vatican history and art.
- The library contains rare Vatican manuscripts that have been preserved for over a thousand years.

## Examples

- Thousands of people gather at the Vatican to see the Pope.
- The Vatican issued a formal statement regarding the new international treaty on climate change.
- Scholars from around the world visit the Vatican Secret Archives to study centuries of historical documents and diplomatic correspondence.

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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.