ultramontane Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a Roman Catholic who advocates ultramontanism (supreme papal authority in matters of faith and discipline)
  2. adjective of or relating to ultramontanism
  3. adjective satellite on or relating to or characteristic of the region or peoples beyond the Alps from Italy (or north of the Alps)
    transalpine.
    • ancient transalpine Gaul was an area northwest of the Alps and included modern France and Belgium
    • Cracow was a transalpine university
  4. adjective satellite on the Italian or Roman side of the Alps
    cisalpine.
    • ancient cisalpine Gaul included an area south and east of the Alps

WordNet


Ul`tra*mon"tane
Etymology
LL. ultramontanus; L. ultra beyond + montanus belonging to a mountain, from mons, montis, mountain: cf. F. ultramontain, It. ultramontano. See Ultra-, and Mountain.
Definitions
  1. Being beyond the mountains; specifically, being beyond the Alps, in respect to the one who speaks. ✍ This term was first applied, somewhat contemptuously, by the Italians, to the nations north of the Alps, especially the Germans and French, their painters, jurists, etc. At a later period, the French and Germans applied it to the Italians. It is now more particularly used in respect to religious matters; and ultramontane doctrines, when spoken of north of the Alps, denote the extreme views of the pope's rights and supremacy maintained by Bellarmin and other Italian writers.
Ul`tra*mon"tane noun
Definitions
  1. One who resides beyond the mountains, especially beyond the Alps; a foreigner.
  2. One who maintains extreme views favoring the pope's supremacy. See Ultramontanism.

Webster 1913