Meaning & use
papist
A term, now generally considered offensive or dated, historically used to refer to a Roman Catholic, especially by opponents of the Catholic Church.
See it in a sentence
In seventeenth-century pamphlets, Protestant writers often used papist as an insult against Catholics.
The word papist appears throughout old English texts describing religious conflict after the Reformation.
A note on using this word
Papist is a historically loaded and often derogatory term; modern writing uses the neutral word Catholic instead, except when quoting or discussing historical usage.
Words with a similar meaning
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