The word “pontificate” originally comes from a tradition in the Roman Catholic Church. As a noun, “pontificate” refers to the office or tenure of a pope or bishop, and as a verb, it describes officiating as a bishop, especially at Mass. Ties to bishops aside, delivering opinions in a pontificating manner means offering those views specifically in a pompous and dogmatic way. Synonyms for this manner of speech are “expound,” “declaim,” “preach,” “sermonize,” and “lecture.”