pontificate

English

WOTD – 12 September 2006

Etymology 1

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin pontificatus, from pontifex (“high priest”), from pons (“bridge”) + facere (“make”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɒnˈtɪfɪkət/
• IPA^(key): /pɑːnˈtɪfɪkət/

• 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
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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 (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin pontificare (“pontificate”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin pontifex (“high priest”), from pons (“bridge”) + facere (“make”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɒnˈtɪfɪkeɪt/
• IPA^(key): /pɑːnˈtɪfɪkeɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

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 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.

Translations

preside as a bishop

• French: pontifier (fr)
• Italian: pontificare (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: pontificar (es)

act like a pontiff

• Dutch: orakelen (nl)
• French: pontifier (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: pontificare (it)

speak in a patronizing, supercilious or pompous manner

• Dutch: orakelen (nl)
• Finnish: saarnata (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: pontifier (fr)
• Italian: pontificare (it)
• Spanish: sentar cátedra

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Italian

Verb

pontificate

1. second-person plural present indicative of pontificare
2. second-person plural imperative of pontificare
3. feminine plural of pontificato