Holy See

noun

: the see of the pope

Examples of Holy See in a Sentence

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As pope, Leo serves as leader of both the Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church, and Vatican City, an independent state. Russ Bynum, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025 These were the words of an elderly Creole woman from New Orleans, who spoke to me recently in light of the elevation of Robert Prevost to office of the Holy See. Darryl Barthé, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025 The optics of a Russian leader flying to Rome to broker peace under the guidance of the Holy See would be deeply damaging to the image of the Russian Orthodox Church, which operates hand-in-hand with the Kremlin as a fount of religious legitimacy. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 23 May 2025 Located right next to the halls of the Valentino atelier, it’s housed in a former Vatican school and printing house for Propaganda Fide, the Holy See’s dicastery for the propagation of the faith. Tiziana Cardini, Vogue, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for Holy See

Word History

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Holy See was in 1765

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Cite this Entry

“Holy See.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Holy%20See. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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