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Synonyms

Pilate

British  
/ ˈpaɪlət /

noun

  1. Pontius (ˈpɒnʃəs, ˈpɒntɪəs). Roman procurator of Judaea (?26–?36 ad ), who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus, allegedly against his better judgment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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"He cannot do a Pontius Pilate and maintain he cannot interfere because policing is devolved."

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2025

He told Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would be fighting.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

Raúl Esparza, whom I can still hear singing “Being Alive” from the 2006 Broadway revival of “Company,” played Pontius Pilate with lip-smacking villainy.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2025

In turn, Pilate benefited by having allies who could keep his subjects in line and thus keep him in power.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2023

Pilate turned it all around to show it off and pressed in the catch.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.