Spanish word

Papa

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpapa/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpope

Example

El Papa viajará al país la próxima semana.

The Pope will travel to the country next week.

Illustration for Papa (pope)

More examples

Miles de personas esperaban la bendición del Papa.

Thousands of people were waiting for the Pope's blessing.

Core concept

Pope seated on the papal throne.

Common phrases

  • la misa del Papa

    Pope's mass

  • la bendición del Papa

    Pope's blessing

  • audiencia con el Papa

    audience with the Pope

Similar words

papá: Addresses a father affectionately in warm, everyday family speech.
Santo Padre: Acts as a formal, reverent title used to address the pope.
pontífice: Holds the high clerical office that carries the Church's supreme liturgical and governing authority.
obispo de Roma: Leads and shepherds the local Christian community in Rome as its bishop.

Definition in Spanish

Título que recibe el obispo de Roma y jefe de la Iglesia católica.

Word origin

Spanish Papa comes from Greek pappâ 'father' via Latin papa and originally served as an honorific for bishops that later became the formal title of the bishop of Rome.

Usage tips

  • Spanish normally uses the definite article and capitalizes the title (el Papa) so the article and capitalization help distinguish the pope from papá (father) and from lowercase papa (potato).

Other meanings

  • pontiffnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • papadopapacynoun
  • papalpapaladjective

Word lists with this word