This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
pontiff
[ pon-tif ]
/ ˈpɒn tɪf /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
any pontifex.
any high or chief priest.
Ecclesiastical.
- a bishop.
- the Roman Catholic pope, the Bishop of Rome.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of pontiff
Words nearby pontiff
Pontian, pontianak, pontic, Pontic Mountains, pontifex, pontiff, pontific, pontifical, Pontifical College, Pontifical Mass, pontificals
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pontiff in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for pontiff
pontiff
/ (ˈpɒntɪf) /
noun
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
Word Origin for pontiff
C17: from French pontife, from Latin pontifex
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 pontiff
pontiff
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.
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.