ultramontanist
|ul-tra-mon-ta-nist|
🇺🇸
/ˌʌltrəˈmɑntənɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˌʌltrəˈmɒntənɪst/
supporter of papal authority
Etymology
'ultramontanist' originates from French, specifically the word 'ultramontain', where 'ultra' meant 'beyond' and 'mont' (from Latin 'mons, montis') meant 'mountain'.
'ultramontanist' changed from French 'ultramontain' (literally 'beyond the mountains'), then into English as 'ultramontane' and later formed the agent noun 'ultramontanist' to denote a supporter of ultramontanism; the sense shifted from a geographic label to a political/religious one referring to allegiance to the Pope in Rome.
Initially it meant 'beyond the mountains' (i.e., from the perspective of northern Europe, 'from beyond the Alps'), but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a supporter of papal authority or papal supremacy.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who strongly supports the authority and supremacy of the Pope (papal primacy) in church matters.
He was an ultramontanist who argued that local bishops must defer to Rome on doctrinal questions.
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Noun 2
a supporter of the 19th-century movement within the Catholic Church favoring centralized papal authority and opposition to national church liberties.
During the 1800s many ultramontanists pushed for stronger papal control over local dioceses.
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Last updated: 2026/01/13 12:37