encyclical

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an authoritative pastoral letter issued by the pope and circulated broadly within the Roman Catholic Church

   The pope's encyclical addressed environmental responsibility and social justice.

2. 2
   adj

   formal: intended for general or wide circulation

   The bishop sent an encyclical letter to every parish in the region.

Common collocations

• encyclical letter Adjective + noun

From Late Latin encyclicus, from Greek enkyklios, 'circular or general,' based on kyklos, 'circle.' An encyclical was literally a letter sent around for broad circulation; the noun became especially associated with papal teaching documents.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images