Vatican

noun

Vat·​i·​can ˈva-ti-kən How to pronounce Vatican (audio)
1
: the papal headquarters in Rome
2
: the papal government
Vatican adjective

Examples of Vatican in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Newsweek contacted the Vatican for comment via the affiliated Vatican News service by email and Hillary Clinton via the Clinton Foundation's online inquiry form for comment on Friday. James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025 Pope Francis simultaneously created a Vatican fundraising foundation to keep it and other Catholic hospitals afloat. Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025 Muir recently reported live from Vatican City as Cardinal Robert Prevost became the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Catherine Santino, People.com, 2 June 2025 In what ways was Vatican II thought to be more progressive than the previous ways the church had taught? Literary Hub, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for Vatican

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin (mons) Vāticānus, hill on the west bank of the Tiber, the traditional site of the apostle Peter's tomb, on which a basilica was built in the 4th century

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Vatican was in 1555

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Cite this Entry

“Vatican.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Vatican. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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