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

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

Willey wrote a book on the late pontiff - The promise of Francis: The man, the Pope, and the challenge of change - which he presented to Francis in 2016.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

But these days, he’s been attacking Pope Leo XIV, even going so far as to chide the pontiff to “to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

The pontiff posed next to a white version of the Luce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

The first pontiff from the United States is due to meet seven victims on September 27 in the southwestern town of Lourdes, including a former student at Betharram.

From Barron's

Therefore, with his impetuous move, Julius accomplished what no other pontiff would ever have achieved with the greatest of human prudence.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

Related Words

• pope