Adjacent Words

Pontifical definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PONTIF'ICAL, a. [L. pontificalis.] Belonging to a high priest; as pontifical authority; hence, belonging to the pope; popish.
1. Splendid; magnificent.
2. Bridge-building. [Not used.]
PONTIF'ICAL, n. A book containing rites and ceremonies ecclesiastical.
1. The dress and ornaments of a priest or bishop.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: proceeding from or ordered by or subject to a pope or the papacy regarded as the successor of the Apostles; "papal dispensation" [syn: papal, apostolic, apostolical, pontifical]
2: denoting or governed by or relating to a bishop or bishops [syn: episcopal, pontifical]
3: puffed up with vanity; "a grandiloquent and boastful manner"; "overblown oratory"; "a pompous speech"; "pseudo-scientific gobbledygook and pontifical hooey"- Newsweek [syn: grandiloquent, overblown, pompous, pontifical, portentous] n
1: the vestments and other insignia of a pontiff (especially a bishop)

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin pontificale, from neuter of pontificalis Date: 14th century 1. episcopal attire; specifically the insignia of the episcopal order worn by a prelate when celebrating a pontifical mass — usually used in plural 2. a book containing the forms for sacraments and rites performed by a bishop II. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin pontificalis, from pontific-, pontifex Date: 15th century 1. a. of or relating to a pontiff or pontifex b. celebrated by a prelate of episcopal rank with distinctive ceremonies <pontifical mass> 2. pompous 3. pretentiously dogmatic • pontifically adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 RC Ch. of or befitting a pontiff; papal. 2 pompously dogmatic; with an attitude of infallibility. --n. 1 an office-book of the Western Church containing rites to be performed by the Pope or bishops. 2 (in pl.) the vestments and insignia of a bishop, cardinal, or abbot. Phrases and idioms: pontifical mass a high mass, usu. celebrated by a cardinal, bishop, etc. Derivatives: pontifically adv. Etymology: ME f. F pontifical or L pontificalis (as PONTIFEX)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pontifical Pon*tif"ic*al, a. [L. pontificalis: cf. F. pontifical. See Pontiff.] 1. Of or pertaining to a pontiff, or high priest; as, pontifical authority; hence, belonging to the pope; papal. 2. Of or pertaining to the building of bridges. [R.] Now had they brought the work by wondrous art Pontifical, a ridge of pendent rock Over the vexed abyss. --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pontifical Pon*tif"ic*al, n. [F.] 1. A book containing the offices, or formulas, used by a pontiff. --South. 2. pl. The dress and ornaments of a pontiff. ``Dressed in full pontificals.'' --Sir W. Scott.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Popish, papal.

Moby Thesaurus

apostolic, arrogant, bigoted, bloated, bombastic, conceited, doctrinaire, doctrinarian, dogmatic, dogmatizing, flatulent, formal, gassy, grandiloquent, important, inflated, magisterial, opinionated, opinionative, opinioned, oracular, papal, papish, papist, papistic, peremptory, pompous, popish, positive, positivistic, pronunciative, puffy, self-important, self-opinionated, self-opinioned, solemn, stilted, stuffy, swollen, tumid, turgid