pontifical

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: pon=tif=i=cal

CIDE DICTIONARY

pontifical, a. [L. pontificalis: cf. F. pontifical. See Pontiff.].

•  Of or pertaining to a pontiff, or high priest; as, pontifical authority; hence, belonging to the pope; papal.  [1913 Webster]
•  Of or pertaining to the building of bridges.  [1913 Webster]

  "Now had they brought the work by wondrous art
  Pontifical, a ridge of pendent rock
  Over the vexed abyss."  [1913 Webster]

pontifical, n. [F.].

•  A book containing the offices, or formulas, used by a pontiff.  South.  [1913 Webster]
•  The dress and ornaments of a pontiff.  Sir W. Scott.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

pontifical, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 RC Ch. of or befitting a pontiff; papal.
2 pompously dogmatic; with an attitude of infallibility.
--n.
1 an office-book of the Western Church containing rites to be performed by the Pope or bishops.
2 (in pl.) the vestments and insignia of a bishop, cardinal, or abbot.

Idiom

pontifical mass a high mass, usu. celebrated by a cardinal, bishop, etc.

Derivative

pontifically adv.

Etymology

ME f. F pontifical or L pontificalis (as PONTIFEX)

THESAURUS

pontifical

apostolic, arrogant, bigoted, bloated, bombastic, conceited, doctrinaire, doctrinarian, dogmatic, dogmatizing, flatulent, formal, gassy, grandiloquent, important, inflated, magisterial, opinionated, opinionative, opinioned, oracular, papal, papish, papist, papistic, peremptory, pompous, popish, positive, positivistic, pronunciative, puffy, self-important, self-opinionated, self-opinioned, solemn, stilted, stuffy, swollen, tumid, turgid

ROGET THESAURUS

pontifical

Churchdom

N church, churchdom, ministry, apostleship, priesthood, prelacy, hierarch, church government, christendom, pale of the church, clericalism, sacerdotalism, episcopalianism, ultramontanism, theocracy, ecclesiology, ecclesiologist, priestcraft, odium theologicum, monachism, monachy, monasticism, monkhood, pontificate, primacy, archbishopric, archiepiscopacy, prelacy, bishopric, bishopdom, episcopate, episcopacy, see, diocese, deanery, stall, canonry, canonicate, prebend, prebendaryship, benefice, incumbency, glebe, advowson, living, cure, rectorship, vicariate, vicarship, deaconry, deaconship, curacy, chaplain, chaplaincy, chaplainship, cardinalate, cardinalship, abbacy, presbytery, holy orders, ordination, institution, consecration, induction, reading in, preferment, translation, presentation, popedom, the Vatican, the apostolic see, religious sects, council, conclave, convocation, synod, consistory, chapter, vestry, sanhedrim, conge d'elire, ecclesiastical courts, consistorial court, court of Arches, ecclesiastical, ecclesiological, clerical, sacerdotal, priestly, prelatical, pastoral, ministerial, capitular, theocratic, hierarchical, archiepiscopal, episcopal, episcopalian, canonical, monastic, monachal, monkish, abbatial, abbatical, Anglican, pontifical, papal, apostolic, Roman, Popish, ultramontane, priest-ridden.