DOUG'S WORD OF THE WEEK

ex cathedra / eks kuh-THEE-druh / adverb, adjective: 1. Spoken with authority; with the authority of the office.

Notes & Etymology: From the Latin ex cathedra (from the chair), from cathedra (chair). In the Roman Catholic Church, when the Pope speaks ex cathedra he is considered infallible. The word cathedral is short for the full term cathedral church, meaning the principal church of a diocese, one containing a bishop's throne. The term is often used ironically or sarcastically to describe self-certain statements

Usage: “The Supreme Court's ex cathedra pronouncement that the area is not riverbed or floodplain commits two errors. ”
Ramaswamy R. Iyer; Let the Games Go On; The Indian Express (New Delhi, India); Aug 4, 2009