encyclical

Also ��·��⳦·��

[en-sik-li-kuhl, -sahy-kli-]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Roman Catholic Church.��a letter addressed by the pope to all the bishops of the church.

adjective

(of a letter) intended for wide or general circulation; general.

encyclical

/ ɛ��ˈ��ɪ��ɪ��ə�� /

noun

a letter sent by the pope to all Roman Catholic bishops throughout the world

adjective

(of letters) intended for general or wide circulation

encyclical

A letter from the pope to the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, in which he lays down policy on religious, moral, or political issues.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of encyclical¹

1610–20; < Late Latin encyclicus (< Greek ��԰�ý��ǲ�, with -icus -ic for -ios, equivalent to en- en- ² + ��ý�� ( os ) circle, cycle + -ios adj. suffix) + -al ¹

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Word History and Origins

Origin of encyclical¹

C17: from Late Latin encyclicus, from Greek enkuklios general, from kuklos circle

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He is particularly known for issuing an encyclical - a letter sent to bishops of the Church - called "Rerum Novarum", a Latin expression which means "Of New Things".

From

“One pope after another did an encyclical to mark further the rights of the poor,” said James F. Keenan, S.J., a Jesuit priest and professor of theology at Boston College.

From

Obituaries from several major newspapers, including this one, either ignored or only made passing reference to his encyclical.

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Another session used a papal encyclical to “highlight the tension and possibility inherent in Christians in political vocations.”

From

Last month, in a prelude to what he will likely say in Dubai, the Argentine Jesuit issued an urgent update to his landmark 2015 encyclical on the environment.

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