pope

noun

(Roman Catholicism and generally) An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.

(by extension, now often ironic) Any similarly absolute and 'infallible' authority.

(by extension) Any similar head of a religion.

(Coptic Orthodoxy) An honorary title of the Coptic bishop of Alexandria as father and head of his church.

(Eastern Orthodoxy) An honorary title of the Orthodox bishop of Alexandria as father and head of his autocephalous church.

(UK) An effigy of the pope traditionally burnt in Britain on Guy Fawkes' Day and (occasionally) at other times.

(alcoholic beverages) Any mulled wine (traditionally including tokay) considered similar and superior to bishop.

(uncommon) A theocrat, a priest-king, including (at first especially) over the imaginary land of Prester John or (now) in figurative and alliterative uses.

(British) The ruffe, a small Eurasian freshwater fish (Gymnocephalus cernua); others of its genus.

(UK regional, Cumberland, Cornwall, Devon, Scotland) The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica).

(US regional) The painted bunting (Passerina ciris).

An English surname transferred from the nickname originating as a nickname.

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Marengo County, Alabama.

A township in Fayette County, Illinois.

An unincorporated community in Allen County, Kentucky.

A village in Panola County, Mississippi.

(Russian Orthodoxy) Alternative form of pop, a Russian Orthodox priest. [(countable) A loud, sharp sound, as of a cork coming out of a bottle, especially when the contents are pressurized by fizziness.]

Alternative letter-case form of pope. [(Roman Catholicism and generally) An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.]

(Christianity, historical, obsolete) Any bishop of the early Christian church.

(US, obsolete) Pope Day, the present Guy Fawkes Day.

(rare) The red-cowled cardinal (Paroaria dominicana).

(US, dialectal, obsolete) The whippoorwill (Antrostomus vociferus, syn. Caprimulgus vociferus).

(US, dialectal, rare) The nighthawk (Chordeiles minor).

verb

(intransitive or with 'it') To act as or like a pope.

(intransitive, colloquial) To convert to Roman Catholicism.

Roots

papaspop- · Greek · father

Synonyms for pope

pontiffn antipopen archbishopn prelaten archpriestn vicarn diocesanadj suffragann coadjutorn exarchn

Synonyms & related words for pope

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of pope — including pontiff, antipope, archbishop, prelate, archpriest, vicar. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to pope

Explore words related to pope — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include popedom, papacy, papal, pontifex, pontifical, popish, benedict, pontificate. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for pope

Common synonyms for pope include pontiff, antipope, archbishop, prelate, archpriest, vicar, diocesan, suffragan — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does pope come from?

The word pope breaks down into one root of Greek origin: the root pop-, from Greek papas (“father”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.