Pontificate Definition

pŏn-tĭfĭ-kĭt, -kāt
pontificated, pontificates, pontificating
noun
pontificates
The office, or term of office, of a pontiff.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
verb
pontificated, pontificates, pontificating
To officiate as a pontiff.
Webster's New World
To speak or act in a pompous or dogmatic way.
Webster's New World

(intransitive) To preside as a bishop, especially at mass.

Wiktionary

(intransitive) To act like a pontiff; to express one's position or opinions dogmatically and pompously as if they were absolutely correct.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Pontificate

Noun

Singular:
pontificate
Plural:
pontificates

Origin of Pontificate

  • Latin pontificātus from pontifex pontific- pontifex pontifex V., from Medieval Latin pontificāre pontificāt- to act as an ecclesiastic from Latin pontifex

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From the past participle stem of mediaeval Latin pontificare (“pontificate"), from Latin pontifex (“high priest"), from pons (“bridge") + facere (“make").

    From Wiktionary

  • From Latin pontificatus, from pontifex (“high priest"), from pons (“bridge") + facere (“make").

    From Wiktionary

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to pontificate using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

pontificate