pontifical

adjective

Definition of pontificalnext
as in opinionative
given to or marked by the forceful expression of strongly held opinions a theater critic known for his pontifical pronouncements on what is or is not worth seeing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pontifical The bishops further authorized a new edition of the Roman Pontifical for pontifical Masses, expected to be completed by 2027, with Vatican approval pending for some rites, according to the Catholic News Agency. — Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025 In its report, the pontifical commission highlights failures in the Italian church. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025 The sprawling roughly 2,000-year-old property includes ancient Roman archaeological sites, farmlands, pontifical villas and lush papal gardens, with areas for organic farming and regenerative cultivation. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025 Related Articles For the past 40-plus years in the Philippines, Natori’s mother Angelita Cruz has been very close to the nuncios (who act as pontifical ambassadors), the designer said. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for pontifical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pontifical
  1. opinionated
  2. dogmatic
  3. stubborn
  4. adamant
  5. doctrinaire
Adjective
  • Clear, opinionated writing meets more resistance than writing designed to please everyone.
    — Deepa Nagraj, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • That is a good thing, but the idiosyncratic movie may not play for the opinionated doc branch.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of opinionated
Adjective
  • In 1976, after signing a petition in support of Wilfried Linke, a fellow student expelled from the college for criticizing the dogmatic ideological orientation of Marxist-Leninist instruction, she herself was expelled.
    — Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • As young and upcoming English coaches go, Lampard, 48, is far from dogmatic.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of dogmatic
Adjective
  • The Federal Reserve is also hiking rates again to rein in stubborn inflation.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Pair that with five years of stubborn inflation, and workers are losing even more ground.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • Schnell was adamant that the film crew couldn’t provide any help to him.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Lander was adamant that rezonings didn’t have to go the way of Williamsburg.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of adamant
Adjective
  • By then, even Sartre had lost his enthusiasm for the USSR and had broken with the doctrinaire French communists.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
  • But its message for young women may have evolved into something slightly less doctrinaire, and perhaps even less explicitly political.
    — Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
Definition of doctrinaire

Browse Nearby Words

pons asinorums
pontifical
pontificate
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Cite this Entry

“Pontifical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontifical. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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