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
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Recent Examples of pontifical
Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.
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ABC News,
8 May 2026
That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.
—
Claudio Lavanga,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
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.
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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.
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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
ABC News,
8 May 2026
That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.
—
Claudio Lavanga,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pontifical
Adjective
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There’s the yellow, blue-nosed beaver Norb (Nick Bakay) — witty, sophisticated, sarcastic, and opinionated.
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Leaving the book over editorial disagreements became a pattern that repeated several times in Byrne’s career, and his willingness to be blunt about his peers’ quality of work earned him a reputation of being opinionated.
Adjective
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At all stages of history, Habermas shows, humanity has been trying to work out codes for the common good, and these surface even in times of dogmatic repression.
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If confidence, dogmatic beliefs, and undeniable talent were elixirs of life, Frank Lloyd Wright would be alive today, celebrating what would have been his 159th birthday.
Adjective
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The weather service’s forecast discussion for Kansas City said the stubborn heat could last through the Fourth of July.
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Against all odds, the stubborn housing market has become a hotspot for young talent.
Adjective
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And in Season Two, Survival of the Thickest went all out on a dream wedding for Peppermint, an idea Buteau was adamant about making it on screen.
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Advertisement Throughout negotiations, Tehran has been adamant that any cease-fire with Washington must also end the hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, and that any permanent truce must lead to Israel withdrawing its forces from southern Lebanon.
Adjective
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But its message for young women may have evolved into something slightly less doctrinaire, and perhaps even less explicitly political.
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On the left, Anderson trots out stock characters — the oversexed Black woman revolutionary, Leo's cuckolded white stoner, doctrinaire newcomers — from a Bob Hope skit about hippies.
Cite this Entry
“Pontifical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontifical. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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