What does Pontiff mean?
Definitions for Pontiff
ˈpɒn tɪfpon·tiff
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Pontiff.
Princeton's WordNet
pope, Catholic Pope, Roman Catholic Pope, pontiff, Holy Father, Vicar of Christ, Bishop of Romenoun
the head of the Roman Catholic Church
Wiktionary
pontiffnoun
A bishop of the early Church; now specifically, the Pope.
pontiffnoun
Any chief figure or leader of a religion.
pontiffnoun
A pontifex.
Etymology: From pontife, from pontifex.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Pontiffnoun
Etymology: pontife, Fr. pontifex, Latin.
Livy relates, that there were found two coffins, whereof the one contained the body of Numa, and the other, his books of ceremonies, and the discipline of the pontiffs. Francis Bacon.
Wikipedia
Pontiff
A pontiff (from Latin pontifex) was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs. The term "pontiff" was later applied to any high or chief priest and, in Roman Catholic ecclesiastical usage, to bishops, especially the Pope, who is sometimes referred to as the Roman Pontiff or the Supreme Pontiff.
ChatGPT
pontiff
A pontiff is a religious leader or high priest, typically in the context of the Roman Catholic Church where it refers to the Pope. It can also be used to refer to any bishop or major religious leader in other faiths. The term originates from the Latin word "pontifex," which means "bridge builder," symbolizing the role as a mediator between humans and the divine.
Webster Dictionary
Pontiffnoun
a high priest
Pontiffnoun
one of the sacred college, in ancient Rome, which had the supreme jurisdiction over all matters of religion, at the head of which was the Pontifex Maximus
Pontiffnoun
the chief priest
Pontiffnoun
the pope
Etymology: [F. pontife, L. pontifex, -ficis; pons, pontis, a bridge (perhaps originally, a way, path) + facere to make. Cf. Pontoon.]
Wikidata
Pontiff
A pontiff was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs. The term "pontiff" was later applied to any high or chief priest and, in Christian ecclesiastical usage, to a bishop and more particularly to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope or "Roman Pontiff".
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Pontiff
pon′tif, n. (R.C.) a bishop, esp. the pope—originally an ancient Roman high-priest, the Pon′tifex.—adjs. Pontif′ic, -al, of or belonging to a pontiff or to a bishop, esp. the pope: splendid: magnificent.—n. Pontif′ical, an office-book of ecclesiastical ceremonies proper to a bishop.—adv. Pontif′ically.—n.pl. Pontif′icals, the dress of a priest, bishop, or pope.—n. Pontif′icate, the dignity of a pontiff or high-priest: the office and dignity or reign of a pope.—v.i. to perform the duties of a pontiff.—n. Pon′tifice (Milt.), bridge-work, a bridge.—Pontifical mass, mass celebrated by a bishop while wearing his full vestments. [Fr. pontife—L. pontifex, pontificis—pons, pont-is, a bridge, facĕre, to make.]
Etymology and Origins
Pontiff
The Pope of Rome bears this name conformably to the Latin pons, bridge, and facere, to make, because the earliest bridge over the Tiber was constructed at the sole cost of the High Priest of the Romans.
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
PONTIFF
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Pontiff is ranked #39352 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Pontiff surname appeared 559 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Pontiff.
94.6% or 529 total occurrences were White.
1.9% or 11 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
1.6% or 9 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
0.8% or 5 total occurrences were Black.
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of Pontiff in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of Pontiff in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5
Examples of Pontiff in a Sentence
The only difference is that there is, of course, no need to elect a new pontiff in this case.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for Pontiff
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
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Translation
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"Pontiff." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Pontiff>.
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