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Pontificate vs Platitude - What's the difference?

pontificate | platitude |

As nouns the difference between pontificate and platitude

is that pontificate is the state or term of office of a pontiff or pontifex while platitude is old spelling of.

As a verb pontificate

is to preside as a bishop, especially at mass.

pontificate

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) pontificatus, from .

Noun

(en noun)
  • The state or term of office of a pontiff or pontifex.
  • Etymology 2

    From the past participle stem of mediaeval (etyl) .

    Verb

    (pontificat)
  • To preside as a bishop, especially at mass.
  • To act like a pontiff; to express one’s position or opinions dogmatically and pompously as if they were absolutely correct.
  • To speak in a patronizing, supercilious or pompous manner, especially at length.
  • * 2007 , New York Times
  • During a policy discussion awhile back about New York issues, when Mr. Clinton began to pontificate , she told him that he did not exactly know what he was talking about and to hush up.

    platitude

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An often-quoted saying that is supposed to be meaningful but has become unoriginal or hackneyed through overuse; a .
  • * 1918 — , ch XI
  • Beauty, I suppose, opens the heart, extends the consciousness. It is a platitude , of course.
  • Unoriginality; triteness.
  • *'>citation
  • A claim that is trivially true, to the point of being uninteresting.
  • Synonyms

    * * See also