Brewer's: Ex Cathedra

(Latin). With authority. The Pope, speaking ex cathedra, is said to speak with an infallible voice—to speak as the successor and representative of St. Peter, and in his pontifical character. The words are Latin, and mean “from the chair” —i.e. the throne of the pontiff. The phrase is applied to all dicta uttered by authority, and ironically to self-sufficient, dogmatical assertions.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language