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^[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

preside as a bishop

• French: pontifier (fr)
• Hungarian: pontifikál (hu)
• 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

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

pontificate

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

Etymology 2

Participle

pontificate f pl

1. feminine plural of pontificato

Spanish

Verb

pontificate

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