pontiff

American  

[pon-tif] / ˈpɒn tɪf /

noun

1. any pontifex.

2. any high or chief priest.

3. Ecclesiastical.

   1. a bishop.

   2. the Roman Catholic pope, the Bishop of Rome.

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pontiff British  

/ ˈpɒntɪf /

noun

1. a former title of the pagan high priest at Rome, later used of popes and occasionally of other bishops, and now confined exclusively to the pope

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pontiff Cultural  

1. Another name for the pope. Pontiff comes from a Latin word, meaning “bridge builder,” that was used as a title for some of the priests of ancient Rome.

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Etymology

Origin of pontiff

1600–10; earlier pontife < French, short for Latin pontifex pontifex

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Explanation

In Catholicism, the pontiff is the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic church. When the pontiff visits a city, thousands of people come out to watch his motorcade go by. In ancient Rome, a pontiff was one of many high-ranking religious authorities — in fact, there was a whole group of them, known collectively as the College of Pontiffs. Today, it's strictly accurate to call any Catholic bishop a pontiff, but the vast majority of Catholics reserve the word for the Bishop of Rome, otherwise known as the Pope. The word means "high priest," from a root meaning "bridge-maker."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pontiff

The city’s main cathedral created a life-size cutout of the pontiff that visitors can pose with.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

Father Juan Mechán Sánchez, parochial vicar of Chiclayo Cathedral, remembers the pontiff as a father figure, deeply connected to his community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

In Lima, elated Peruvians lined the streets Wednesday afternoon, hoping to find a choice spot from which to cheer on the pontiff, who was expected to travel into downtown Lima in his white popemobile.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

The pontiff, 71, also said he was "very happy" to be able to make the trip which was thrown into doubt last month when doctors discovered a tumour during a routine scan.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

Now, with his hands folded over his stomach, answering questions with the pacific smile of a pontiff granting dispensations, he was so perfectly at his ease that there was something palpably dishonest about it.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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Related Words

• pope

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