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/ˈpɒntɪf/ · noun
(historical, Ancient Rome) A member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs; a pontifex..
In several respects John turned out to be an unexpected figure as supreme pontiff.
Use pontiff when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Pontiff means (historical, Ancient Rome) A member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs; a pontifex..
Common synonyms include pope, holy father, vicar of christ.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
In several respects John turned out to be an unexpected figure as supreme pontiff.
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