cathedral

1 of 2

adjective

ca·​the·​dral kə-ˈthē-drəl How to pronounce cathedral (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or containing a cathedra
2
: emanating from a chair of authority
3
: suggestive of a cathedral
a cathedral grove of redwoods

cathedral

2 of 2

noun

1
: a church that is the official seat of a diocesan bishop
2
: something that resembles or suggests a cathedral (as in size or importance)
a cathedral of business
the sports cathedral

Illustration of cathedral

Illustration of cathedral
  • cathedral 1

Examples of cathedral in a Sentence

Noun the company didn't want just a new office building—it demanded a cathedral that proclaimed its place among the giants of finance
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The watch has 12 complications, including a cathedral minute repeater, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, sidereal time and sky chart. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2023 The Baroque, 17th-century convent and cathedral Santo Domingo, just across the street from Otro, is hulking and magnificent in the frame to my left. Catherine Tansey, Travel + Leisure, 27 Jan. 2024 Recommendations Key stops La Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an 8th-century mosque turned cathedral that is one of the world's grandest examples of Moorish architecture. Andrew Ferren, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2023 The town itself is still hemmed in by its ancient walls punctuated with watchtowers, and its cathedral dates back to the 1200s and contains several important frescoes and carvings. Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2024 The cathedral dates from 1181 and attracts around 300,000 visitors every year. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023 And on March 31, cathedral organist and associate director of music Thomas Sheehan will join organ scholar Rebecca Ehren for a program celebrating the organ’s own auspicious resurrection. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2024 The stained altar cloth is preserved in the cathedral today. Perri Klass, New York Times, 5 July 2023 Unlike most soft serve cones, which resemble something like a cathedral spire, Dairy Queen’s cones sit like the dome on top of the Taj Mahal: like a plump onion waiting to be plucked out of the ground. Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023
Noun
From there, the cathedral’s dean will lead them on an exclusive tour of the building. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Breakfast will be on offer the following morning, before the visitors will climb to the top of the cathedral’s dome. Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 The reopening of the iconic Paris cathedral will last from Dec. 8, 2024, to June 8, 2025, according to the letter. Anna Rabemanantsoa, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2024 Continue using other churches to hold important events in place of a cathedral. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 At night, the dark sky above the bay shines with thousands of celestial bodies, and the Big Dipper, also known as the Great Bear constellation, loiters in the northern sky, right above the majestic cathedral. Danuta Hamlin, Fox News, 18 Feb. 2024 As the cathedral was constructed, builders added elements and repairs in the style of their time, Cohen noted. Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 The digital of a cathedral becomes a woozy sister-in-law. Jay Pilgreen, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024 Church leaders fret that the American church is poised to follow the path of West European churches: soaring Gothic cathedrals with empty pews and shuttered church sanctuaries converted into nightclubs. John Blake, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cathedral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cathedral was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cathedral

Cite this Entry

“Cathedral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cathedral. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cathedral

noun
ca·​the·​dral
kə-ˈthē-drəl
: the principal church of a district headed by a bishop

More from Merriam-Webster on cathedral

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