Meanings
nounantipope (plural antipopes)
plural antipopes · alternative anti-pope
- ChristianityA person who claims or claimed to be the pope, usually as the result of a disputed election or deposition, but is not considered by the Roman Catholic Church to be the real pope.
Meanwhile support for the ‘puppet’ antipope Nicholas V, deprived of his protector and by now excommunicated along with his emperor, rapidly withered away.
2007, Edwin Mullins, The Popes of Avignon, Blue Bridge, published 2008, page 59
Origin
- Medieval Latinantipāpa
- Middle Frenchantipape
- Englishantipope
From Middle French antipape (later assimilated to anti- + pope), from Medieval Latin antipāpa.
More words from Middle French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan antipapa
- antipapaperson who claims to be pope
Czech antipapež, vzdoropapež
- antipapežperson who claims to be pope
- vzdoropapežperson who claims to be pope
Danish modpave
- modpaveperson who claims to be pope
Dutch tegenpaus
- tegenpausperson who claims to be pope
Finnish vastapaavi
- vastapaaviperson who claims to be pope
French antipape
- antipapeperson who claims to be pope
German Gegenpapst
- Gegenpapstperson who claims to be pope
Greek αντίπαπας
- αντίπαπας (antípapas)person who claims to be pope
Hungarian ellenpápa
- ellenpápaperson who claims to be pope
Irish frithphápa
- frithphápaperson who claims to be pope
Latin antipāpa
- antipāpaperson who claims to be pope
Polish antypapież
- antypapieżperson who claims to be pope
Portuguese antipapa
- antipapaperson who claims to be pope
Romanian antipapă
- antipapăperson who claims to be pope
Russian антипа́па
- антипа́па (antipápa)person who claims to be pope
Spanish antipapa
- antipapaperson who claims to be pope
Swedish motpåve
- motpåveperson who claims to be pope
Cite this entry
APA
antipope. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antipope
MLA
“antipope.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antipope. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “antipope,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antipope.
Source: antipope on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.