pontiff

noun

pon·​tiff ˈpän-təf How to pronounce pontiff (audio)
1
2
: bishop
specifically, often capitalized : pope sense 1

Examples of pontiff in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In Pope Francis’s first autobiography, which publishes March 19, the first Latin American pontiff offers an up-to-the-minute take on his life and papacy. Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 The 87-year-old pontiff was seen arriving at Italian capital's Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island in a small white Fiat 500 and leaving again under escort in the same car after a short period, the ANSA news agency reported. Henry Austin, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 The caliph — not wholly unlike the pontiff in Rome for Catholics — was the leading, unifying temporal authority of the Muslim world. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The pontiff has had several health problems in recent years. Henry Austin, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 The president of Argentina embraced Pope Francis during an extensive meeting in Rome this week, quashing a long-standing feud with the pontiff. Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 13 Feb. 2024 Others worried that the pontiff’s call to ban surrogacy will embolden those opposed to the practice, including lawmakers. Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024 The Roman Catholic pontiff made the appeal in his weekly Angelus address on Sunday while also calling for an end to violence and kidnappings in Haiti. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2024 The pontiff visits Portugal for World Youth Day (WYD) which takes place over the first week of August. Timothy Nerozzi, Fox News, 3 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pontiff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French pontif, from Latin pontific-, pontifex

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of pontiff was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near pontiff

Cite this Entry

“Pontiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pontiff. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pontiff

noun
pon·​tiff ˈpänt-əf How to pronounce pontiff (audio)
: bishop sense 1
especially, often capitalized : pope
pontifical
pän-ˈtif-i-kəl
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on pontiff

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