pontificate

pontificate

English

WOTD – 12 September 2006

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Noun

pontificate (plural pontificates)

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

Translations

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

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

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

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

1. (intransitive) To preside as a bishop, especially at mass.
2. (intransitive) To act like a pontiff; to express one's position or opinions dogmatically and pompously as if they were absolutely correct.
3. (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:

     During a policy discussion awhile 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."

Translations

preside as a bishop

French: pontifier (fr) Hungarian: pontifikál Italian: pontificare (it) Spanish: pontificar (es)

act like a pontiff

Dutch: orakelen (nl) French: pontifier (fr) Italian: pontificare (it) Japanese: 説教する (ja) (せっきょうする, sekkyō-suru)

speak in a patronizing, supercilious or pompous manner

Dutch: orakelen (nl) Finnish: saarnata (fi) French: pontifier (fr) Hungarian: kinyilatkoztat (hu) Italian: pontificare (it) Spanish: sentar cátedra

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Italian

Verb

pontificate

1. inflection of pontificare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Participle

pontificate f pl

1. feminine plural of pontificato