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.
—
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
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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The most opinionated of these rejects is Smarty Pants, a basic toilet-training tech tool given an amusingly snarky attitude by Conan O’Brien.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
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Mary Holland said the creative process worked because the sisters are all opinionated in different ways.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
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.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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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.—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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But La Roja could not find a way past Vozinha and a stubborn defense that had an answer to everything Spain’s superstars threw at them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
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Meanwhile, Hanks invests the vulnerable but stubborn Woody with a delectable senior resilience.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Mbappe’s legal team are adamant that no evidence of any agreement has ever been proven.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
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The Charlotte utility giant is adamant, however, that residential customers’ bill will not grow because of those data centers.—
Catherine Muccigrosso,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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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.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Houston Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
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Yet both sides of the weight-loss debate became attached to impossibly doctrinaire positions.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pontifical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontifical. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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