as in dogmatical
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
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Examples of pontifical in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
The prose is confiding and, in places, pontifical.
—
Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2020
That revelation, coupled with other recent pontifical critiques, have quickly dissolved the notion that the Dec. 31 death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a symbolic leader of the church’s conservative wing, might lessen the opposition to Francis.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2023
Because of its original purpose, however, the building also has its peculiarities: the pontifical horses lived in grand style on two levels of soaring stalls, connected by a monumental, gently sloping ramp of travertine bricks.
—Ingrid D. Rowland, The New York Review of Books, 20 Aug. 2020
The prevailing view of Wordsworth—pontifical, orthodox, austere—was entrenched by the Victorians, who praised him for the very qualities the Younger Romantics had mocked.
—Matthew Bevis, Harper's Magazine, 23 June 2020
Lifting the rule of pontifical secrecy does not clarify church official’s obligations to comply with such requests.
—Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2020
The Vatican had previously argued that the imposition of pontifical secrecy was necessary to protect both victim and accused.
—BostonGlobe.com, 18 Dec. 2019
Critics said the pontifical secret was used to keep the scandal hidden, prevent police from acquiring internal documentation and silence victims.
—Nicole Winfield, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Dec. 2019
Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2020
That revelation, coupled with other recent pontifical critiques, have quickly dissolved the notion that the Dec. 31 death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a symbolic leader of the church’s conservative wing, might lessen the opposition to Francis.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2023
Because of its original purpose, however, the building also has its peculiarities: the pontifical horses lived in grand style on two levels of soaring stalls, connected by a monumental, gently sloping ramp of travertine bricks.
—Ingrid D. Rowland, The New York Review of Books, 20 Aug. 2020
The prevailing view of Wordsworth—pontifical, orthodox, austere—was entrenched by the Victorians, who praised him for the very qualities the Younger Romantics had mocked.
—Matthew Bevis, Harper's Magazine, 23 June 2020
Lifting the rule of pontifical secrecy does not clarify church official’s obligations to comply with such requests.
—Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2020
The Vatican had previously argued that the imposition of pontifical secrecy was necessary to protect both victim and accused.
—BostonGlobe.com, 18 Dec. 2019
Critics said the pontifical secret was used to keep the scandal hidden, prevent police from acquiring internal documentation and silence victims.
—Nicole Winfield, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pontifical
Adjective
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Leigh Silverman directs a rigorously unspectacular production, with an almost dogmatic refusal to add any Broadway razzle.Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
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But the tone of the nascent tech industry in that era was less dogmatic and maximalist.BYAlexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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McCaffrey hadn’t played since the Super Bowl in Las Vegas while battling a stubborn case of Achilles tendinitis.Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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You might be tempted to whip out your strongest acne-fighting products to destroy your stubborn zit.Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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What will his very opinionated Jewish family have to say?Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Oct. 2024
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Emily and Alfie are once again a thing, though Samuel Arnold, who plays the sassy and opinionated Julien doesn’t think this was the wisest choice.Sophie Hanson, StyleCaster, 15 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Courtney is adamant that their mom (Vernee Watson) needs cataract surgery, but as the more successful sister, Gaby’s words carry more weight.Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
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Paul Heyman, one of the key figures in The Bloodline saga, has been adamant that WWE remains in the early stages of a storyline that started way back in 2020.Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Back in the early aughts, during the height of the poker boom, the secrets of the game were both doctrinaire and vague.Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
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The give-and-take of an earlier era, when Lew Wasserman and his Universal crowd, for instance, played both sides gave way to a doctrinaire intensity.Michael Cieply, Deadline, 14 July 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Pontifical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontifical. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
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