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
Relevance
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
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
-
Under Fleming, ServiceNow adopted a more opinionated voice on AI.—
Melody Brue,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
-
With him is trusted aide and very opinionated meteorologist Irving Krick (Chris Messina), who has given him key weather forecasts on several campaigns and is doing so again for perhaps the biggest ever attempted, a seaborne invasion onto the beaches of Normandy in France planned for June 5, 1944.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Bobb believes the dogmatic way lawmakers talk about civics has had a chilling effect.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
The messaging from China’s Communist government may once have been dogmatic and rigid — not anymore.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Grab a melamine sponge and get rid of stubborn bathtub stains in a jiffy.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
1 June 2026
-
If the Avs remain stubborn and play a style that suits their stars in the regular season, MacKinnon might win another title, but will be at the end of his career with another team.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Officials with the Georgia Department of Transportation have been adamant that many of the major road closures and resurfacing projects are unrelated to the World Cup, and therefore are on a multi-year timeline.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Healthcare advocates are equally adamant.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
