Standard Lemma guide

sedevacantism

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˌsɛdɪˈveɪkəntɪzəm/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The belief, held by a minority of Christians claiming to be traditionalist Catholics, that the present occupant of the Holy See is not the true pope and that the see has been vacant since the 1960s.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English sede vacante Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English sedevacantism From sede vacante + -ism.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: sédévacantisme — belief that actual pope is not a true and legitimated one
  • German: Sedisvakantismus — belief that actual pope is not a true and legitimated one
  • German: Sedisvacantismus — belief that actual pope is not a true and legitimated one
  • Italian: sedevacantismo — belief that actual pope is not a true and legitimated one
  • Polish: sedewakantyzm — belief that actual pope is not a true and legitimated one
  • Portuguese: sedevacantismo — belief that actual pope is not a true and legitimated one
  • Serbo-Croatian: седевакантизам — belief that actual pope is not a true and legitimated one
  • Serbo-Croatian: sedevakantizam — belief that actual pope is not a true and legitimated one
  • Spanish: sedevacantismo — belief that actual pope is not a true and legitimated one