pontificate
verb (formal)

- express one's opinions in a pompous and dogmatic way

- if someone pontificates about something, they state their opinions as if they are the only correct ones and nobody could possibly argue against them

- (in the Roman Catholic Church) to officiate as bishop, especially at Mass

Oxford Languages / Collins Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The word "pontificate" comes from the Latin word pontifex meaning "bridge-builder" or "high priest of Rome". This referred to the position of the Pope as the bishop of Rome who figuratively and spiritually bridges the connection between God and humanity.

The first known use of "pontificate" in English was around the mid-16th century.

Nowadays, "pontificate" most commonly refers to speaking or expressing opinions in a pompous or dogmatic manner.

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POMPOUS, PRETENTIOUS, or GRANDILOQUENT?

Though related in their excessive pride and sophistication, the traits of being pompous, pretentious, and grandiloquent each carry distinct meanings.

A pompous person speaks and behaves with exaggerated self-importance. However, unlike pretentiousness, pomposity may contain true expertise or authority behind the bluster. Pomposity stems from an inflated confidence in one's own significance.

Pretentiousness contains more superficial artificiality than actual competence. A pretentious person affectedly overstates their knowledge or elite status. Pretentious speech and conduct arise from deep insecurity masked by an elaborate facade — think of “Imposter Syndrome”.

Finally, grandiloquent suggests an elaborately formal, ornate, and rhetorical speaking style. The grandiloquent person loves linguistic extravagance for its artistic and dramatic effect. Grandiloquence creates a sense of the grandiose and theatrical rather than communicating meaning.

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SYNONYMS

- for pontificate

babble (on), blab, blabber (on), discourse, dogmatize, drone on, evangelize, explicate, expound, gabble (on), give a sermon, go on and on (about), grandstand, harp on, hold a discourse (a gabfest, a monologue), hold forth (about), jibber-jabber, lecture, moralize, natter (on), opine, orate, PONTIFICATE, posture, prate, preach, prattle, proselytize, rant, rattle on (and on, on endlessly, like a broken record), sermonize (endlessly), soapbox, spout, yack, yackety-yak

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation, say something like:

“If you were in a public speaking competition to PONTIFICATE about any subject of your choice, what topic would you choose?”

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