habemus Papam

Latin phrase

ha·be·mus Pa·pam hä-ˈbā-mu̇s-ˈpä-päm

: we have a Pope

—used to announce the election of a Pope by the College of Cardinals

Cite this Entry

Style

“Habemus Papam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/habemus%20Papam. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List