Adjective a theater critic known for his pontifical pronouncements on what is or is not worth seeing
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Because of its original purpose, however, the building also has its peculiarities: the pontifical horses lived in grand style on two levels of soaring stalls, connected by a monumental, gently sloping ramp of travertine bricks. Ingrid D. Rowland, The New York Review of Books, 20 Aug. 2020 The prevailing view of Wordsworth—pontifical, orthodox, austere—was entrenched by the Victorians, who praised him for the very qualities the Younger Romantics had mocked. Matthew Bevis, Harper's Magazine, 23 June 2020 Lifting the rule of pontifical secrecy does not clarify church official’s obligations to comply with such requests.Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2020 The Vatican had previously argued that the imposition of pontifical secrecy was necessary to protect both victim and accused.BostonGlobe.com, 18 Dec. 2019 Critics said the pontifical secret was used to keep the scandal hidden, prevent police from acquiring internal documentation and silence victims. Nicole Winfield, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Dec. 2019 Critics said the pontifical secret was used to keep the scandal hidden, prevent police from acquiring internal documentation and silence victims. Nicole Winfield, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Dec. 2019 Critics said the pontifical secret was used to keep the scandal hidden, prevent police from acquiring internal documentation and silence victims. Nicole Winfield, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Dec. 2019 Critics said the pontifical secret was used to keep the scandal hidden, prevent police from acquiring internal documentation and silence victims. Nicole Winfield, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Dec. 2019 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin pontificale, from neuter of pontificalis
Adjective
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin pontificalis, from pontific-, pontifex