pontificio
papal, pontifical
adjective pon-TEE-choh Rare
Origin: Latin pontificius, from pontifex (high priest).
Usage Note
Pontificio describes anything belonging to or issued by the Pope: la Guardia Pontificia (the Pontifical Guard), uno stato pontificio (a papal state). It is a formal, institutional adjective not used in everyday conversation. The plural forms are pontifici (m) and pontificie (f).
Examples
"Il Palazzo Pontificio ospita la residenza papale."
Natural Translation
The Pontifical Palace houses the papal residence.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic
ItalianNow
5 min read
ItalianNow
5 min read
ItalianNow
5 min read