as in opinionative
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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Recent Examples of pontifical
Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.
—
ABC News, 8 May 2026
That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.
—Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
The bishops further authorized a new edition of the Roman Pontifical for pontifical Masses, expected to be completed by 2027, with Vatican approval pending for some rites, according to the Catholic News Agency.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025
In its report, the pontifical commission highlights failures in the Italian church.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
The sprawling roughly 2,000-year-old property includes ancient Roman archaeological sites, farmlands, pontifical villas and lush papal gardens, with areas for organic farming and regenerative cultivation.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Related Articles For the past 40-plus years in the Philippines, Natori’s mother Angelita Cruz has been very close to the nuncios (who act as pontifical ambassadors), the designer said.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 18 June 2025
ABC News, 8 May 2026
That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.
—Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
The bishops further authorized a new edition of the Roman Pontifical for pontifical Masses, expected to be completed by 2027, with Vatican approval pending for some rites, according to the Catholic News Agency.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025
In its report, the pontifical commission highlights failures in the Italian church.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
The sprawling roughly 2,000-year-old property includes ancient Roman archaeological sites, farmlands, pontifical villas and lush papal gardens, with areas for organic farming and regenerative cultivation.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Related Articles For the past 40-plus years in the Philippines, Natori’s mother Angelita Cruz has been very close to the nuncios (who act as pontifical ambassadors), the designer said.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 18 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pontifical
Adjective
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There’s the yellow, blue-nosed beaver Norb (Nick Bakay) — witty, sophisticated, sarcastic, and opinionated.—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 June 2026
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Leaving the book over editorial disagreements became a pattern that repeated several times in Byrne’s career, and his willingness to be blunt about his peers’ quality of work earned him a reputation of being opinionated.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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At all stages of history, Habermas shows, humanity has been trying to work out codes for the common good, and these surface even in times of dogmatic repression.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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If confidence, dogmatic beliefs, and undeniable talent were elixirs of life, Frank Lloyd Wright would be alive today, celebrating what would have been his 159th birthday.—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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Dealing with stubborn dark spots?—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
23 June 2026
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But when the adults decide to cancel Christmas and the magical star fades away, a stubborn little bird named Pikkuli sets off on a winter adventure with friends to find the Starlight Reindeer and bring back the light.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
22 June 2026
Adjective
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Advertisement Throughout negotiations, Tehran has been adamant that any cease-fire with Washington must also end the hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, and that any permanent truce must lead to Israel withdrawing its forces from southern Lebanon.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
19 June 2026
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Trump and Vance have been adamant that the fund will not be financed by American dollars.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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But its message for young women may have evolved into something slightly less doctrinaire, and perhaps even less explicitly political.—
Elaine Godfrey,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
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On the left, Anderson trots out stock characters — the oversexed Black woman revolutionary, Leo's cuckolded white stoner, doctrinaire newcomers — from a Bob Hope skit about hippies.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Houston Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pontifical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontifical. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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