pontiff
noun
- generic term for a religious office
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈpɒntɪf/
name
Etymology: From pontiff, a nickname for someone who had played the role of the pope in a medieval religious play, or for a vain and pompous person.
- A surname transferred from the nickname.
noun
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French pontife m, from Latin pontifex m. Doublet of pontifex.
- A member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs; a pontifex.
- A bishop of the early Church; now specifically, the Pope.
“In several respects John turned out to be an unexpected figure as supreme pontiff.”
- Any chief figure or leader of a religion.