1. Plural of antipope; persons who claimed to be pope in opposition to the pope recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.
Usage: historical; usually capitalized when referring to specific individuals

Examples

• During the Western Schism, several antipopes competed for control of the papacy.
• The antipopes of the 14th and 15th centuries created confusion about papal authority.
• Historians debate whether certain antipopes had legitimate claims to the throne of Saint Peter.
• The Catholic Church does not recognize antipopes as legitimate successors of Saint Peter.
• Medieval antipopes often had political backing from rival European powers.