Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CATH'O-LIC, a. [Gr. {foreign}, {foreign}. and {foreign}, from {foreign}, the whole; L. catholicus; Fr. catholique; Sp. catolico; It. cattolico.]

1. Universal or general; as, the Catholic church. Originally, this epithet was given to the Christian church in general, but is now appropriated to the Romish church, and in strictness there is no Catholic church, or universal Christian communion. The epithet is sometimes set in opposition to heretic, sectary or schismatic.
2. Liberal; not narrow-minded, partial, or bigoted; as, a catholic man.
3. Liberal; as, catholic principles. Catholic epistles, the epistles of the apostles which are addressed to all the faithful, and not to a particular church.