pontificate

[ noun pon-tif-i-kit, -keyt; verb pon-tif-i-keyt ]

/ noun pɒnˈtɪf ɪ kɪt, -ˌkeɪt; verb pɒnˈtɪf ɪˌkeɪt /

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See synonyms for: pontificate / pontificator on Thesaurus.com

noun

the office or term of office of a pontiff.

verb (used without object), pon·tif·i·cat·ed, pon·tif·i·cat·ing.

to perform the office or duties of a pontiff.

to speak in a pompous or dogmatic manner: Did he pontificate about the responsibilities of a good citizen?

to serve as a bishop, especially in a Pontifical Mass.

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Origin of pontificate

First recorded in 1400–50. The noun is from Latin pontificātus, derivative of pontific- (stem of pontifex ) + -ātus noun suffix denoting office or function; see origin at pontifex, -ate³. The verb is from Medieval Latin pontificātus, past participle of pontificāre “to be an ecclesiastic”; see -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM pontificate

pon·tif·i·ca·tion [pon-tif-i-key-shuhn], /pɒnˌtɪf ɪˈkeɪ ʃən/, nounpon·tif·i·ca·tor, noun

Words nearby pontificate

pontific, pontifical, Pontifical College, Pontifical Mass, pontificals, pontificate, pontification, pontifices, pontil, pontile, pontine

How to use pontificate in a sentence

In the wake of Francis’s surgery, Alberto Melloni, a church historian, argued that this pontificate has entered a concluding chapter, where he will have to make decisions about the final things he might want to prioritize.
Pope Francis’s surgery adds urgency to questions about the remaining years of his papacy|Chico Harlan, Stefano Pitrelli|July 9, 2021|Washington Post
But of course, there is the now fading memory of the election that followed the long pontificate of Pius XII.
The Catholic Church Is Insular and Intolerant|Robert Shrum|March 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Benedict may well want to cut short the time available for the cardinals to politick, posture, and pontificate, as it were.
With Pope Benedict XVI’s Retirement, Conclave Rules Prove Unclear|Christopher Dickey|February 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The deficit hawks pontificate on camera while in the wings the tradesmen of the Congress fill districts with holiday cheer.
The GOP's Tax Deal Jitters|John Batchelor|December 14, 2010|DAILY BEAST

The pope of Rome sent him a full set of all the medals struck during his pontificate.
Historic Fredericksburg|John T. Goolrick
Cossa kept his word never to appeal against the sentence which stripped him of the pontificate.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 4|Various
His cosmography, like all of them, began with the creation and came down to the pontificate of Martin V who was then Pope.
The Life of Joan of Arc, Vol. 1 and 2 (of 2)|Anatole France
Luther attacked not the abuses of the Roman pontificate, but the pontificate itself.
History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Vol 2|J. H. Merle D'Aubign
Ferdinando de Medici, then a cardinal, had just failed in his candidacy for the pontificate (outwitted by that fox Montalto).
Romance of Roman Villas|Elizabeth W. (Elizbeth Williams) Champney

British Dictionary definitions for pontificate

pontificate

verb (pɒnˈtɪfɪˌkeɪt) (intr)

to speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic mannerAlso (less commonly): pontify (ˈpɒntɪˌfaɪ)

to serve or officiate as a pontiff, esp in celebrating a Pontifical Mass

noun (pɒnˈtɪfɪkɪt)

the office or term of office of a pontiff, now usually the pope

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

pontificate

Origin of pontificate

OTHER WORDS FROM pontificate

Words nearby pontificate

Words related to pontificate

How to use pontificate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pontificate