Pronunciation: pän- ' ti-f ə - ˌ k ā t
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form: -cat · ed ; -cat · ing
Etymology: Medieval Latin pontificatus, past participle of pontificare, from Latin pontific-, pontifex
Date: 1818
1 a : to officiate as a pontiff b : to celebrate pontifical mass
2 : to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way
– pon · tif · i · ca · tion \ ( ˌ )pän- ˌ ti-f ə - ' k ā -sh ə n \ noun
– pon · tif · i · ca · tor \ - ˌ k ā -t ə r \ noun