pontificate

n.

The office or term of office of a pontiff.

intr.v., -cat·ed, -cat·ing, -cates. (-kāt')

1. To express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic way.
2. To administer the office of a pontiff.

[Latin pontificātus, from pontifex, pontific-, pontifex. See pontifex. V., from Medieval Latin pontificāre, pontificāt-, to act as an ecclesiastic, from Latin pontifex.]

pontification pon·tif'i·ca'tion n.
pontificator pon·tif'i·ca'tor n.

IN BRIEF: To speak or behave with exaggerated authority.

In journalism it is simpler to sound off than it is to find out. It is more elegant to pontificate than it is to sweat. — Harold Evans

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: the government of the Roman Catholic Church
  Synonym: papacy

---

The verb pontificate has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: administer a pontifical office

Meaning #2: talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner

---

Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - fungere som pave eller biskop, spille værdig
n. - pontifikat

Nederlands (Dutch)
verkondigen, gewichtig verklaren, pompeus doen, Pauselijk gezag

Français (French)
v. intr. - pontifier
n. - pontificat

Deutsch (German)
v. - den Papst spielen
n. - Pontifikat

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - (μτφ.) αποφθέγγομαι
n. - (θρησκ.) αξίωμα ή θητεία Πάπα ή αρχιερέα

Italiano (Italian)
pontificare, pontificato

Português (Portuguese)
v. - pontificar
n. - pontificado (m)

Русский (Russian)
понтификат, вещать, разглагольствовать

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - pontificar
n. - pontificado

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - fungera som påve, spela påve (ofelbar)
n. - pontifikat, påvedöme, påves regeringstid, påvevärdighet

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
行教宗职责, 武断地表示意见, 神气活现地行动, 教宗, 高僧的地位, 主教

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 行教宗職責, 武斷地表示意見, 神氣活現地行動
n. - 教宗, 高僧的地位, 主教

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 주교로서 직무를 수행하다
n. - 주교의 직위[임기]

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 大祭司, 司教
adj. - もったいぶって話す, 尊大にふるまう

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يقوم بقداس, حبري, يتكلم على طريقه الأساقفه (الاسم) منصب الحبر أو الأسقف‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮התנשא, התנפח, התיימר להיות חסר-טעויות, נהג כאפיפיור, ניהל תפילה (בעיקר הגמון)‬
n. - ‮יהיר ונוקשה בדיעותיו, כהונת האפיפיור, כהונה של הגמון‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.