nounnoun

der Papst, ¨-e

pope

Er ist das Oberhaupt der katholischen Kirche und wird von den Kardinälen gewählt. Er lebt im Vatikan und gilt als wichtigster geistlicher Führer für Katholiken weltweit.

Definition & meaning

der Papst means the pope, the bishop of Rome and the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope is also regarded by Catholics as the successor of Saint Peter.

It can also refer to the office or institution of the papacy:

Der Papst hielt eine Ansprache. — The pope gave a speech.
Die Wahl eines neuen Papstes — the election of a new pope

The plural is die Päpste .

Grammar & Word origin

Gender: masculine
Article: der
Plural: die Päpste
Genitive singular: des Papstes
Feminine form: die Päpstin , meaning “female pope,” although this is mainly used in historical, hypothetical, or fictional contexts.

Papst comes from Greek pápas, meaning “father,” through Latin papa. It is not a modern compound word, so it cannot be meaningfully divided into separate German parts.

Synonyms & antonyms

There is no exact everyday synonym for Papst. Common alternative titles include:

der Heilige Vater — “the Holy Father”; a respectful religious title for the pope
der Pontifex Maximus — a formal Latin title traditionally associated with the pope

There is no direct antonym for Papst, since it refers to a unique religious office. In some contexts, der Laie (“layperson”) can serve as a conceptual contrast to a member of the clergy, but it is not an antonym.