antipope
noun
an·ti·pope
ˈan-ti-ˌpōp 
: one elected or claiming to be pope in opposition to the pope canonically chosen
Examples of antipope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Believers in Malachy's prophecy include in the count a few of those antipopes – figures not formally recognized by the Vatican.
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Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 4 May 2025
Some purists, however, insist there were only 15 Benedicts, purposely omitting Benedict X, who was elected in 1058 but later determined to be an antipope and replaced in less than a year by Nicholas II.
—Christopher Watson, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2025
Almost as soon as Pope Francis became the head of the Roman Catholic church in 2013, Raymond Burke, an American cardinal, emerged as his leading critic from within the church, becoming a de facto antipope for frustrated traditionalists who believed Francis was diluting doctrine.
—Ruth Graham, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023
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Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 4 May 2025
Some purists, however, insist there were only 15 Benedicts, purposely omitting Benedict X, who was elected in 1058 but later determined to be an antipope and replaced in less than a year by Nicholas II.
—Christopher Watson, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2025
Almost as soon as Pope Francis became the head of the Roman Catholic church in 2013, Raymond Burke, an American cardinal, emerged as his leading critic from within the church, becoming a de facto antipope for frustrated traditionalists who believed Francis was diluting doctrine.
—Ruth Graham, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Antipope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antipope. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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