pontificate

English edit

WOTD – 12 September 2006

Etymology 1 edit

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

Pronunciation edit

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɒnˈtɪf.ɪ.kət/
(US) IPA^(key): /pɔnˈtɪf.ə.kət/, /pɔnˈtɪf.ɪ.kət/
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (AU) (file)

Noun edit

pontificate (plural pontificates)

The status or term of office of a pontiff or pontifex.

Translations edit

state of a pontifex

Catalan: pontificat m
Czech: pontifikát m
Dutch: pontificaat (nl) n
Finnish: paavius (fi), pontifikaatti (fi)
French: pontificat (fr) m
German: Pontifikat (de) m or n
Hungarian: főpapi méltóság/rang/tisztség, pontifikátus
Italian: pontificato (it) m
Japanese: 司教の職 (しきょうのしょく, shikyō no shoku)
Polish: pontyfikat (pl) m
Russian: понтифика́т (ru) m (pontifikát)
Spanish: pontificado (es)
Swedish: pontifikat (sv) n

Etymology 2 edit

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

Pronunciation edit

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɒnˈtɪf.ɪ.keɪt/
(US) IPA^(key): /pɔnˈtɪf.ə.keɪt/, /pɔnˈtɪf.ɪ.keɪt/
Audio (US) (file)

Verb edit

pontificate (third-person singular simple present pontificates, present participle pontificating, simple past and past participle pontificated)

(intransitive) To preside as a bishop, especially at mass.
(intransitive) To act like a pontiff; to express one's position or opinions dogmatically and pompously as if they were absolutely correct.
(intransitive) To speak in a patronizing, supercilious or pompous manner, especially at length.
- 2007 May 13, Patrick Healy, “In New Role, Senator Clinton’s Strategist in Chief”, in New York Times‎^[1]:
  During a policy discussion awhile^[sic] back about New York issues, when Mr. Clinton began to pontificate, she told him that he did not exactly know what he was talking about and to hush up.
- 2014 January 16, Jocelyn Samara D., Rain (webcomic), Comic 482 - Blood:
  "Do you hear that, Ryan? Your mommy is being a pontificating windbag."