Meaning

noun the vestments and other insignia of a pontiff (especially a bishop)

adjective proceeding from or ordered by or subject to a pope or the papacy regarded as the successor of the Apostles

adjective denoting or governed by or relating to a bishop or bishops

originEtymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pent- Proto-Indo-European *póntoh₁s Proto-Italic *ponts Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-der. Proto-Italic *-faks Proto-Italic *pontifaks Latin pontifex Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin pontificālislbor. English pontifical Learned borrowing from Latin pontificālis.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0