encyclical

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a letter from the pope sent to all Roman Catholic bishops throughout the world
adjective intended for wide distribution

From Late Latin encyclicus + -al, from Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλιος (enkúklios, “circular, general”), from ἐν- (en-) + κύκλος (kúklos, “circle”).

(Encyclical of Leo XII, December 28, 1878, called the Quod Apostolici. — A history of economic doctrines : $b from the time of the physiocrats to the present day, Charles Gide
He draws us far away from Rome--the Rome of the Encyclicals, I mean--far, too, from worldly codes of honour. — Dostoevsky, André Gide

encyclical letter

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning