preconize means to proclaim in public; especially (of the Pope) to announce the appointment of a bishop. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
preconize is pronounced /ˈpɹiːkənaɪz/.
Why “preconize” is a great word
PRECONIZE — [Verb] To proclaim or announce publicly, especially the appointment of a bishop by the Pope. From Medieval Latin praeconizare, from Latin praecōn-, praeco (“herald, public crier”) + the verbal suffix -izāre. Unlike “announce,” a general act of making known, or “extol,” which elevates through praise alone, to preconize is to confer legitimacy through formal, ritual utterance. It is the ancient herald’s cry cutting through the forum’s din, the papal bull unfurled in a silent consistory, and the solemn syllables that transform a name into public office—a ritual where speech alone performs the act of creation.
verb
- To proclaim in public; especially (of the Pope) to announce the appointment of a bishop.“The song grew louder, with more insistent, magical tones, surging and falling in unearthly modulations, the very speech of incantation; and the drum beat madly, and the pipe shrilled to a scream, summoning all to issue forth, to leave their peaceful hearths; for a strange rite was preconized in their midst.”