pontifical
/pɑnˈtɪfɪk(ə)l/adjective, noun
pontifical is spelled P-O-N-T-I-F-I-C-A-L: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, pontifical means “Of or pertaining to a bishop; episcopal” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in pontifical?
| Letters | 10: P-O-N-T-I-F-I-C-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 42,680th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is pontifical?
Pontifical appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce pontifical?
- UK /pɒnˈtɪfɪk(ə)l/
- US /pɑnˈtɪfɪk(ə)l/
Pontifical has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-pontifical.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pontifical
- more pontifical comparative
- most pontifical superlative
- pontificals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pontifical mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or pertaining to a bishop; episcopal.
- 2
Of or pertaining to a pope; papal.
- 3
Pompous, dignified or dogmatic.
- 4
Splendid; magnificent.
- 5
Of or pertaining to the pontifices of Ancient Rome.
- 6
Of or relating to the building or forming of bridges.
noun
- 1
A book containing the offices, or formulas, used by a pontiff.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pontifical in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense of or pertaining to a pontiff:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pontifical |
| Portuguese | pontifical |
| Spanish | pontificio |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does pontifical come from?
Learned borrowing from Latin pontificālis.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).