pontificate (pontificates plural & 3rd person present) (pontificating present participle) (pontificated past tense & past participle )
The verb is pronounced [PH:p][PH:A][PH:n][PH:t][PH:I][PH:f][PH:I][PH:k][PH:e][PH:I][PH:t]. The noun is pronounced [PH:p][PH:A][PH:n][PH:t][PH:I][PH:f][PH:I][PH:k][PH:&][PH:t].
1 verb If someone pontificates about something, they state their opinions as if they are the only correct ones and nobody could possibly argue against them.
FORMAL Politicians like to pontificate about falling standards. V about/on n, Also V
2 n-count The pontificate of a pope is the period of time during which he is pope.
Pope Formosus died after a pontificate of four and a half years.