pontificate

1 of 2

verb

pon·tif·i·cate pän-ˈti-fə-ˌkāt How to pronounce pontificate (audio)

pontificated; pontificating

intransitive verb

: to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way

He does not pontificate about whether one ought to choose, if forced to it, to betray one's country rather than one's friends …

Robin W. Winks

What these interviews generally come down to is an invitation to writers to pontificate upon things for which it is either unseemly for them to speak (the quality of their own work) or upon which they are unfit to judge (the state of the cosmos).

Joseph Epstein

: to officiate as a pontiff

: to celebrate pontifical mass

pontification

(ˌ)pän-ˌti-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce pontificate (audio)

noun

pontificator

pän-ˈti-fə-ˌkā-tər How to pronounce pontificate (audio)

noun

Did you know?

In ancient Rome, the pontifices were powerful priests who administered the part of civil law that regulated relationships with the deities recognized by the state. Their name, pontifex, derives from the Latin words pons, meaning "bridge," and facere, meaning "to make," and some think it may have developed because the group was associated with a sacred bridge over the river Tiber (although there is no proof of that). With the rise of Catholicism, the title pontifex was transferred to the Pope and to Catholic bishops. Pontificate derives from pontifex, and in its earliest English uses it referred to things associated with such prelates. By the late 1800s, pontificate was also being used derisively for individuals who spoke as if they had the authority of an ecclesiastic.

Example Sentences

Verb We had to listen to her pontificate about the best way to raise children. Noun He was elected to the pontificate last year. during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Michael Czerny is one of cardinals most closely associated with Pope Francis’ pontificate.

Nicole Winfield, ajc, 9 Aug. 2022 Stick to the facts, do not pontificate about progression of the news or of the virus.

Kristin Hostetter, Outside Online, 9 Mar. 2020 Amid this month’s chaos, NFT.NYC, which draws the biggest NFT brands and evangelists to exclusive parties and events to pontificate on the state of Web3, happened.

Alexandra Sternlicht, Forbes, 1 July 2022 People from the psychedelic community do tend to pontificate about them.

Nick Hilden, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2022 Only one of them is supposed to pontificate endlessly.

Pat Myers, Washington Post, 9 June 2022 After the drone visit, John settles in at a harborside pub in the town of Skerries for a Guinness and to pontificate about another cause close to the brothers: climate.

Alex Konrad, Forbes, 26 May 2022 Many of our provocateurs pontificate because their egos are overblown; with her casual humility, Atwood is taking risks unbefitting of a nice old lady.

Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2022 And McKinsey doesn't pontificate on who should foot the bill; whether its government subsidies, corporate taxes, or consumer wallets.

Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 26 Jan. 2022

Noun

In the first nine years of his pontificate, Pope Francis made 37 trips visiting 53 countries, focusing on his key issues: poverty, migration, the environment, solidarity and war.

Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Sep. 2022 His death ended a 455-year stretch of Italian popes and opened the way for the election of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, who took the name John Paul II and reigned for more than 26 years, the second-longest pontificate in modern history.

Francis X. Rocca, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022 As a result, this is the first major gathering of cardinals since 2019, a time when the endpoint of Francis’s pontificate seemed a far more distant notion.

Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2022 Even supporters of Francis openly stated that his pontificate had entered its final phase.

New York Times, 4 July 2022 The trip had a slower pace than others during Francis’s pontificate — with two events most days rather than four or five.

Chico Harlan, Washington Post, 30 July 2022 Francis noted that church teaching on atomic weapons was modified during his pontificate to consider not only the use but the mere possession of atomic weapons as immoral and to consider the death penalty immoral in all cases.

Nicole Winfield, BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2022 Francis noted that church teaching on atomic weapons was modified during his pontificate to consider not only the use but the mere possession of atomic weapons as immoral and to consider the death penalty immoral in all cases.

Nicole Winfield, ajc, 30 July 2022 During the most somber overseas visit of his pontificate, Francis has offered a series of apologies this week for the cruelty of Canada’s residential school system, which aimed to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children into Christian culture.

Chico Harlan, Washington Post, 29 July 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Medieval Latin pontificatus, past participle of pontificare, from Latin pontific-, pontifex

Noun

Middle English, from Latin pontificatus, from pontific-, pontifex

First Known Use

Verb

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

单词	pontificated
释义	pontificate 1 of 2 verb pon·tif·i·cate pän-ˈti-fə-ˌkāt pontificated; pontificating intransitive verb 1 : to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way He does not pontificate about whether one ought to choose, if forced to it, to betray one's country rather than one's friends … Robin W. Winks What these interviews generally come down to is an invitation to writers to pontificate upon things for which it is either unseemly for them to speak (the quality of their own work) or upon which they are unfit to judge (the state of the cosmos). Joseph Epstein 2 a : to officiate as a pontiff b : to celebrate pontifical mass pontification (ˌ)pän-ˌti-fə-ˈkā-shən noun pontificator pän-ˈti-fə-ˌkā-tər noun pontificate 2 of 2 noun pon·tif·i·cate pän-ˈti-fi-kət -ˌkāt : the state, office, or term of office of a pontiff Did you know? In ancient Rome, the pontifices were powerful priests who administered the part of civil law that regulated relationships with the deities recognized by the state. Their name, pontifex, derives from the Latin words pons, meaning "bridge," and facere, meaning "to make," and some think it may have developed because the group was associated with a sacred bridge over the river Tiber (although there is no proof of that). With the rise of Catholicism, the title pontifex was transferred to the Pope and to Catholic bishops. Pontificate derives from pontifex, and in its earliest English uses it referred to things associated with such prelates. By the late 1800s, pontificate was also being used derisively for individuals who spoke as if they had the authority of an ecclesiastic. Example Sentences Verb We had to listen to her pontificate about the best way to raise children. Noun He was elected to the pontificate last year. during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II Recent Examples on the Web Verb Michael Czerny is one of cardinals most closely associated with Pope Francis’ pontificate. Nicole Winfield, ajc, 9 Aug. 2022 Stick to the facts, do not pontificate about progression of the news or of the virus. Kristin Hostetter, Outside Online, 9 Mar. 2020 Amid this month’s chaos, NFT.NYC, which draws the biggest NFT brands and evangelists to exclusive parties and events to pontificate on the state of Web3, happened. Alexandra Sternlicht, Forbes, 1 July 2022 People from the psychedelic community do tend to pontificate about them. Nick Hilden, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2022 Only one of them is supposed to pontificate endlessly. Pat Myers, Washington Post, 9 June 2022 After the drone visit, John settles in at a harborside pub in the town of Skerries for a Guinness and to pontificate about another cause close to the brothers: climate. Alex Konrad, Forbes, 26 May 2022 Many of our provocateurs pontificate because their egos are overblown; with her casual humility, Atwood is taking risks unbefitting of a nice old lady. Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2022 And McKinsey doesn't pontificate on who should foot the bill; whether its government subsidies, corporate taxes, or consumer wallets. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 26 Jan. 2022 Noun In the first nine years of his pontificate, Pope Francis made 37 trips visiting 53 countries, focusing on his key issues: poverty, migration, the environment, solidarity and war. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Sep. 2022 His death ended a 455-year stretch of Italian popes and opened the way for the election of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, who took the name John Paul II and reigned for more than 26 years, the second-longest pontificate in modern history. Francis X. Rocca, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022 As a result, this is the first major gathering of cardinals since 2019, a time when the endpoint of Francis’s pontificate seemed a far more distant notion. Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2022 Even supporters of Francis openly stated that his pontificate had entered its final phase. New York Times, 4 July 2022 The trip had a slower pace than others during Francis’s pontificate — with two events most days rather than four or five. Chico Harlan, Washington Post, 30 July 2022 Francis noted that church teaching on atomic weapons was modified during his pontificate to consider not only the use but the mere possession of atomic weapons as immoral and to consider the death penalty immoral in all cases. Nicole Winfield, BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2022 Francis noted that church teaching on atomic weapons was modified during his pontificate to consider not only the use but the mere possession of atomic weapons as immoral and to consider the death penalty immoral in all cases. Nicole Winfield, ajc, 30 July 2022 During the most somber overseas visit of his pontificate, Francis has offered a series of apologies this week for the cruelty of Canada’s residential school system, which aimed to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children into Christian culture. Chico Harlan, Washington Post, 29 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology Verb Medieval Latin pontificatus, past participle of pontificare, from Latin pontific-, pontifex Noun Middle English, from Latin pontificatus, from pontific-, pontifex First Known Use Verb 1818, in the meaning defined at sense 2a Noun 15th century, in the meaning defined above pontificated verb past tense of pontificate as in ranted disapproving to speak or express your opinion about something in a way that shows that you think you are always right We had to listen to her pontificate about the best way to raise children. Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance ranted raved harangued declaimed bloviated blustered fulminated orated huffed spouted spoke up raged blew spoke out blared stormed mouthed (off) sounded off bolted carried on took on blurted (out)
随便看	those those days those were the days thoser thoses thosest thoths thou thoued though thougher thoughest thought thought (about or over) thought (of) thought (up) thought about or over thought back thought better of thought control thought experiment thought of thought over thought patterns thought patterns/processes