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 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 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 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 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 See All Example Sentences for pontifical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pontifical
  1. opinionated
  2. dogmatic
  3. stubborn
  4. adamant
  5. doctrinaire
Adjective
  • Acosta’s writing was politically engaged and openly opinionated.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • Producer Barack Obama, who will also appear on the show, previously teased his collaboration with the famously grumpy and opinionated David.
    — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
Definition of opinionated
Adjective
  • Volatile, quarrelsome, dogmatic, and sure of his own brilliance, Reinhold outraged patrons, amassed huge debts, and turned his eldest son into an exhausted workhorse.
    — Jenny Uglow, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of dogmatic
Adjective
  • Colombia earned its passage into the round of 16 with a 1-0 win over stubborn Ghana.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Pickle Robot’s Physical AI unloaders tackle the dock door bottleneck, which is a stubborn pain point in inbound logistics, while AmbiStack handles the structured, high-volume stacking that feeds downstream operations.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • While waiting to go to court, Zaayer remained adamant that Shawna needed to go to prison but was also convinced that David — who worked at the nearby jail — was protecting his wife from receiving an adequate punishment, per The Guardian.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • But Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has been adamant that there are not enough votes in the Senate to pass the legislation, given the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2026
Definition of adamant
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
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 8 Jul. 2026.

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