ex cathedra
Preserved but no longer current.
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 mean "from the chair'' — i.e. the throne of the pontiff — and are applied to all dicta uttered by authority, and ironically to self-sufficient, dogmatic assertions.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “ex cathedra” mean?
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 mean "from the chair'' — i.e. the throne of the pontiff — and are applied to all dicta uttered by authority, and ironically to self-sufficient, dogmatic assertions.
Is “ex cathedra” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.