Etymology
catholic (adj.)
mid-14c., "of the doctrines of the ancient Church" (before the East/West schism), literally "universally accepted," from French catholique, from Church Latin catholicus "universal, general," from Greek katholikos, from phrase kath' holou "on the whole, in general," from kata "about" + genitive of holos "whole" (from PIE root *sol- "whole, well-kept").
Medieval Latin catholicus was practically synonymous with Christianus and meant "constituting or conforming to the church, its faith and organization" (as opposed to local sects or heresies). With capital C-, it was applied by Protestants to the Church in Rome by c. 1554, after the Reformation began in England. The general sense of "embracing all, universal" in English is from 1550s. The meaning "not narrow-minded or bigoted" is from 1580s. The Latin word was rendered in Old English as eallgeleaflic.
also from mid-14c.
Catholic (n.)
"member of the Roman Catholic church," 1560s, from Catholic (adj.).
also from 1560s
Trends of Catholic
adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.
Entries linking to Catholic
*sol-
also solə-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "whole, well-kept."
It forms all or part of: catholic; consolidate; consolidation; holism; holo-; holocaust; Holocene; hologram; holograph; insouciant; safe; safety; sage (n.1) kind of herb; salubrious; salutary; salute; salvage; salvific; salvo "simultaneous discharge of guns;" save (v.) "deliver from danger;" save (prep.) "except;" solder; soldier; solemn; solicit; solicitous; solid; solidarity; solidity; sou.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit sarvah "uninjured, intact, whole;" Avestan haurva- "uninjured, intact;" Old Persian haruva-; Greek holos "whole;" Latin salvus "uninjured, in good health, safe," salus "good health," solidus "solid;" Armenian olj "whole, healthy."
acatholic (adj.)
"non-Catholic," 1809, from a- (3) + Catholic.
Catholicism
catholicity
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Trending words
1. mutiny
2. mercenary
3. cisgender
4. terrestrial
5. titan
6. implosion
7. mortgage
8. truth
9. coup
10. titanic
Dictionary entries near catholic
Catherine
catheter
cathexis
cathode
catholic
Catholic
Catholicism
catholicity
Catiline
cation
catkin
updated on November 14, 2022
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Etymonline - Online Etymology Dictionary
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