This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
ex cathedra
[ ekskuh-thee-druh, kath-i-druh ]
/ ˈɛks kəˈθi drə, ˈkæθ ɪ drə /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective, adverb
from the seat of authority; with authority: used especially of those pronouncements of the pope that are considered infallible.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of ex cathedra
First recorded in 1810–20, ex cathedra is from Latin ex cathedrā literally, “from the chair”
Words nearby ex cathedra
exasperation, exbi-, exc., Excalibur, excardination, ex cathedra, excaudate, excavate, excavation, excavator, exceed
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ex cathedra in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ex cathedra
ex cathedra
/ (ɛks kəˈθiːdrə) /
adjective, adverb
with authority
RC Church (of doctrines of faith or morals) defined by the pope as infallibly true, to be accepted by all Catholics
Word Origin for ex cathedra
Latin, literally: from the chair
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
Cultural definitions for ex cathedra
ex cathedra
[ (eks kuh-thee-druh) ]
Descriptive term for an official pronouncement from the pope. Ex cathedra is Latin for “from the chair.” Roman Catholics believe that the pope speaks infallibly when speaking ex cathedra on questions of faith or morals, such as when Pope Pius XII declared in 1950 that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was physically taken up to heaven after her death.
notes for ex cathedra
Figuratively, any authoritative pronouncement may be called “ex cathedra.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.