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
  • Earlier, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller suggested that more interest rate rises may be needed to tackle stubborn inflation, which has stayed above the Fed's 2% target for more than five years.
    — Hugh Leask,Sean Conlon, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The apparent disconnect between a recovery in oil supply and stubborn fuel prices has drawn attention from analysts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • Lander was adamant that rezonings didn’t have to go the way of Williamsburg.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In a time when both the comic book and art community are grappling with artists using generative AI in their work, Long is adamant that digital painting is cool but says using AI and selling the art as original is a huge problem.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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