What does catholic mean?
The word 'catholic' carries two distinct but historically connected meanings. Lowercase, it functions as a formal adjective describing breadth of taste, interest, or sympathy — someone with catholic tastes enjoys a wide and varied range of things without narrow preference. Capitalized, it designates the Roman Catholic Church, its doctrines, members, and traditions, making it one of the most widely used religious terms in English. Both senses derive from the Greek katholikos, meaning 'universal' or 'general,' reflecting the early church's self-understanding as a faith for all people. Today, the lowercase sense appears mostly in literary or elevated prose, typically in phrases such as 'catholic interests' or 'a catholic range of subjects,' while the religious sense dominates ordinary speech. Because the two meanings share a spelling, context and capitalization matter greatly: a writer praising someone's catholic appetites is describing intellectual generosity, not denominational affiliation. Synonyms include universal, eclectic, broad, and cosmopolitan.
Broad, wide-ranging, or universal in interests, tastes, or sympathies; embracing many different things.
"Her catholic appetite for learning led her from astrophysics to medieval poetry."
Usually lowercase when used this way; often found in the phrase 'catholic tastes.' Considered formal or literary.
(Capitalized) A member of the Roman Catholic Church.
"As a devout Catholic, she attends Mass every Sunday."
The same word that names the world's largest Christian church also describes someone whose tastes are so broad they'll devour anything — from opera to punk rock.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of catholic
The word comes ultimately from the Greek katholikos, formed from kata ('with respect to') plus holos ('whole'), giving the sense 'general' or 'universal.' It passed into Latin as catholicus and entered English via Old French and ecclesiastical Latin, first appearing in religious contexts to describe the universal church. By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the extended secular sense — broad or all-encompassing in tastes and sympathies — had developed in English. Related words sharing the Greek root holos ('whole') include holistic, hologram, and holo- compounds generally.
Related word forms
How catholic is actually used
Lowercase 'catholic' is somewhat formal or literary and is most commonly encountered in the fixed phrase 'catholic tastes.' The capitalized form is far more frequent in everyday usage and refers to the Roman Catholic Church. In contexts where ambiguity could arise, writers often prefer synonyms like 'eclectic' or 'broad' to avoid confusion with the religious sense.
Easily confused with catholic
The capitalized form 'Catholic' refers specifically to the Roman Catholic Church and its members, while the lowercase adjective 'catholic' means broad or all-embracing.
'Holistic' emphasizes treating something as an integrated whole, whereas lowercase 'catholic' stresses breadth of scope or inclusiveness.