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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Anthropic also isn’t alone in its philosophy of maintaining an un-opinionated harness, largely clear of structured semantic data and the like.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
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There's original fare as well, such as an Italian rom-com and a heartwarming dramedy with Field, Lewis Pullman and an opinionated mollusk.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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The messaging from China’s Communist government may once have been dogmatic and rigid — not anymore.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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For many — especially free-spirited hippies, wooks, and the whole wide jam-band universe — the dogmatic style of traditional programs can be a turnoff, an impediment to accessing a path forward.—
David Manheim,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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David Paul Morris / Bloomberg via Getty Images Are Americans finally starting to feel the strain of soaring gas prices and stubborn inflation?—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
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Treasury yields have gone up in recent months as stubborn inflation reduces the likelihood of Fed rate cuts, Pisula notes, while geopolitical tensions add more long-term risk to rates.—
Tim Maxwell,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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Board president Kevin Smith said the poll workers took the correct actions with the adamant voter and Thursday’s board vote corrected his attempt to vote a second time.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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And Meg [Marinis] was very adamant.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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 20 May. 2026.
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