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papist

papist

9.9
Relating to the Roman Catholic Church, often used as an insult
  • adjective
  • /ˈpeɪpɪst/
  • Offensive
translation icon : papista
  • He was accused of holding papist sympathies during the Reformation.

Roger Moore was an English gentleman, you know, suave looked at Papist Brosnan was a a great Bond as well because he looked suave.

Examples

  • Her family was considered dangerously papist by their neighbors.

  • His writings reflect a deep understanding of papist doctrines and their historical significance.

  • The old laws discriminated against those with papist beliefs in England.

  • The papist beliefs were evident in the old texts.

  • Many papist traditions are still practiced today.

  • During the Reformation, being labeled as papist could lead to severe persecution.

  • Many viewed her loyalty to the papist practices as a sign of her strong religious beliefs.

Synonyms

Catholic
vspapist
487 2.3

A person who belongs to the Roman Catholic Church led by the pope

is used disparagingly or historically to mean support for church doctrines
Roman
vspapist
83 3.9

Related to the Catholic Church in Rome and its practices

is often used disparagingly or to show support for doctrines
Roman Catholic
vspapist
37 3.2

Relating to the Christian church led by the Pope

is used in a negative or historical way to support its doctrines

Surface Forms

papist positive

Morphology

papist = papist (semi-transparent) = pap + ist

The adjective is a straightforward conversion from the noun papist, used attributively to mean 'relating to papists' or 'Roman Catholic'.

Etymology

Papist comes from papa, a word meaning 'father', and the same root is in pope, while the ending -ist shows 'following'. So something described as papist is linked to the pope or Roman Catholic ideas, and the word has often been used as an insult.