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vaticano

Vatican

adjective bah-tee-KAH-noh Rare
People & Society Religion

Origin: From Latin Vaticanus, the name of the hill on which the basilica stands, of uncertain pre-Latin origin.

Usage Note

Vaticano as an adjective means 'of or relating to the Vatican', as in documentos vaticanos or el Estado Vaticano. As a proper noun, el Vaticano denotes the Holy See or the Vatican City State. Learners should note that the adjective is written with a lowercase v unless it is part of a proper name; vaticano is also occasionally used colloquially to mean 'secretive' or 'opaque', mirroring English uses of 'Vatican'.

Examples

"El comunicado vaticano sorprendió a los diplomáticos."

Natural Translation

The Vatican communiqué surprised the diplomats.

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