Skip to main content

Word of the Day – Pontificate

By September 10, 2025Word of the Day

Pontificate (verb)

pon-tif-i-kayt

To speak in a pompous or dogmatic manner. From the original definition, which is to perform the office or duties of a pontiff.

First recorded in 1400–50. The noun is from Latin pontificātus, derivative of pontific- (stem of pontifex ) + -ātus noun suffix denoting office or function; pontifex, -ate. The verb is from Medieval Latin pontificātus, past participle of pontificāre “to be an ecclesiastic”; -ate.

Example sentences

“He did like to pontificate and waste everyone’s time prattling on.”

Margaret Atwood pens short story firing a satirical short at Canadian book ban

| News | No Comments
Canadian writer, Margaret Atwood – best known for her novel, The Handmaid’s Tale - has released a new short story in response to her novel being removed from some bookshelves…

Word of the Day – Pontificate

| Word of the Day | No Comments
Word of the Day - Pontificate (verb) pon-tif-i-kayt

Word of the Day – Carrack

| Word of the Day | No Comments
Word of the Day - Carrack (noun) ka-rak

André Aciman’s queer modern classic, Call Me By Your Name, to get graphic novel adaptation

| News | No Comments
Faber have announced the upcoming publication of Call Me By Your Name: The Graphic Novel, an adaptation of the million-copy bestselling modern classic by André Aciman. First published in 2007,…

Word of the Day – Bawd

| Word of the Day | No Comments
Word of the Day - Bawd (noun) bawd

Word of the Day – Repartee

| Word of the Day | No Comments
Word of the Day - Repartee (noun) re-par-tee/tay

Word of the Day – Bethel

| Word of the Day | No Comments
Word of the Day - Bethel (noun) beth-el

Word of the Day – Smarmy

| News, Word of the Day | No Comments
Word of the Day - Smarmy (adj) smahr-mee

Drag Queen, Courtney Act, to publish children’s book

| News | No Comments
Australian drag queen, runner-up on season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race and Dancing with the Stars contestant, Courtney Act, has announced that she is publishing a new children’s book in…