pontificado

pontificate (period of a pope's rule)

noun pon-tee-fee-KAH-doh Rare

Origin: From Latin pontificatus, office of the pontifex.

Usage Note

Pontificado refers specifically to the duration and office of a pope's reign: el pontificado de Juan Pablo II. It should not be confused with the verb pontificar (to pontificate, to speak pompously), which is etymologically related but has a different register. The adjective form is pontificio (papal).

Examples

"El pontificado duró más de dos décadas."

Natural Translation

The pontificate lasted more than two decades.

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