pontificate

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English

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Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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pontificate (plural pontificates)

  1. The status or term of office of a pontiff or pontifex.
Translations
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Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

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Verb

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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[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."
Translations
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Italian

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Etymology 1

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Verb

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pontificate

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

Etymology 2

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Participle

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pontificate f pl

  1. feminine plural of pontificato

Spanish

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Verb

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pontificate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of pontificar combined with te