The Collaborative International Dictionary
Popish \Pop"ish\, a. Of or pertaining to the pope; taught or ordained by the pope; hence, of or pertaining to the Roman Catholic Church; -- often used opprobriously. -- Pop"ish*ly, adv. -- Pop"ish*ness, n.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1520s, from pope + -ish.
Wiktionary
a. 1 (context derogatory English) of or pertaining to Roman Catholicism 2 (context derogatory English) acting like, or holding beliefs similar to, the pope.
WordNet
adj. of or relating to or supporting Romanism; "the Roman Catholic Church" [syn: Roman, r.c., Romanist, romish, Roman Catholic, papist, papistic, papistical]
Usage examples of "popish".
It seems that poor Jenny, having heard of the luminations that were lighted up through the country on the ending of the Popish Bill, had, with Meg, travelled by themselves into Glasgow, where they had gathered or begged a stock of candles, and coming back under the cloud of night, had surprised and alarmed the whole clachan, by lighting up their window in the manner that I have described.
Jewish or a Popish rite, and therefore utterly antichristian and unlawful.
They contend for a spiritual creed and a spiritual worship: we have a Calvinistic creed, a Popish liturgy, and an Arminian clergy.
Western should close with Allworthy that very afternoon, the lover departed home, having first earnestly begged that no violence might be offered to the lady by this haste, in the same manner as a popish inquisitor begs the lay power to do no violence to the heretic delivered over to it, and against whom the church hath passed sentence.
In order to keep the Catholics under further control, an Act against Popish Recusants was passed in 1593 forbidding the convicted gentry from travelling more than five miles from their estates.
Barbeyrac threw overboard the old complex medical farragos of the pharmacopoeias, as his church had disburdened itself of the popish ceremonies.
He was, in fact, best pleased to be known as plain Titus Oates, and would chortle heartily over his chances of tracing a pedigree back to the notorious inventor of the Popish Plot who was whipped from Aldgate to Newgate and from Newgate to Tyburn some three hundred years ago.
Even the gentle Harrison, who gives Boord the too harsh character of a lewd popish hypocrite and ungracious priest, admits that he was not void of judgment in this.