pontificate

[ noun pon-tif-i-kit, -keyt; verb pon-tif-i-keyt ]
See synonyms for: pontificatepontificator on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the office or term of office of a pontiff.

verb (used without object),pon·tif·i·cat·ed, pon·tif·i·cat·ing.
  1. to perform the office or duties of a pontiff.

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

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

Origin of pontificate

1
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/, noun
  • pon·tif·i·ca·tor, noun

Words Nearby pontificate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pontificate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pontificate

pontificate

verb(pɒnˈtɪfɪˌkeɪt) (intr)
  1. to speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic manner: Also (less commonly): pontify (ˈpɒntɪˌfaɪ)

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

noun(pɒnˈtɪfɪkɪt)
  1. 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