Catholic

hardPositive tone

KATH-uh-lik

adjective

Definition

Including a wide variety of things; all-embracing; universal in extent

Memory hook

CATHOLIC (lowercase): the Catholic church is UNIVERSAL — catholic tastes are broad and all-embracing.

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Word roots

katholikosuniversal/general(Greek)

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Examples

Her catholic taste in music ranges from classical to hip-hop.
The museum's catholic collection spans five centuries of art.

Test yourself

Fill in the blank with the right word:

Her ______ taste in music ranges from classical to hip-hop.
Show answer

catholic

Synonyms

broaduniversaleclecticcomprehensive

Antonyms

narrowparochialprovincialinsular

Categories

View all Breadth words

GRE Tip

Catholic is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "broad" or "universal" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "narrow".

Read: How to Memorize GRE Words That Actually Stick

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