Meaning & use
encyclical
A formal letter written by the Pope and sent to all bishops of the Catholic Church on a matter of doctrine.
See it in a sentence
The Pope's encyclical addressed the Church's teaching on care for the environment.
Scholars have studied how nineteenth-century encyclicals shaped Catholic social teaching.
A note on using this word
Encyclical refers specifically to papal letters; it is not used for ordinary religious or personal correspondence.
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