Robin W. WinksJoseph Epstein
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We hate to drone on, so we’ll give you the TL;DR on pontificate. In ancient Rome, a pontifex (plural pontifices) was a member of an important council of priests. With the rise of Catholicism, the title pontifex was transferred to the Pope and to Catholic bishops. From pontifex, by way of Medieval Latin, comes the English verb pontificate, which in the early 1800s meant “to officiate as a pontiff”—that is, as a bishop or Pope. (Note that the noun pontificate), which refers to the state, office, or term of office of a pontiff had been borrowed directly from Latin in the 15th century.) By the late 1800s, pontificate was also being used derisively for lay individuals who spoke as if they had the authority of a member of the clergy. To this day the word connotes an air of spurious superiority—one might consider this sense of pontificate to be the spiritual forerunner of mansplain.
Examples of pontificate in a Sentence
Austin Meek, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024
Those who usually pontificate on the nature of democracy and about what kind of U.S. president would be better for China are at a loss to explain the Trump phenomenon to the Chinese public.
—Eric X. Li, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2016
Christopher Lamb, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
His pontificate has been defined by the Holy See's outreach to Catholics in regions normally outside the attention of the Catholic leadership.
—Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 10 Sep. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near pontificate
Cite this Entry
“Pontificate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pontificate. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pontificate
1 of 2 noun
pontificate
2 of 2 verb
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