What does pontificate mean?
Pontificate means The status or term of office of a pontiff or pontifex..
Pontificate
/pɒnˈtɪf.ɪ.kət/ · noun
Meaning
The status or term of office of a pontiff or pontifex..
Definitions by Sense
- The status or term of office of a pontiff or pontifex.
- (intransitive) To preside as a bishop, especially at mass.
- (intransitive) To act like a pontiff; to express one's position or opinions dogmatically and pompously as if they were absolutely correct.
- (intransitive) To speak in a patronizing, supercilious or pompous manner, especially at length.
Example Sentences
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.
"Do you hear that, Ryan? Your mommy is being a pontificating windbag."
Synonyms for pontificate
Antonyms for pontificate
Related Words
Word Forms
- pontificates
- pontificating
- pontificated
Usage Notes
Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a synonym for pontificate?
Common synonyms include papacy.
What is the opposite of pontificate?
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
How do you use pontificate in a sentence?
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.
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.