sententious

American  

[sen-ten-shuhs] / sɛnˈtɛn ʃəs /

adjective

1. abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims.

   a sententious book.

2. given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous.

   Synonyms:

   moralistic, sanctimonious, didactic, preachy

3. given to or using pithy sayings or maxims.

   a sententious poet.

4. of the nature of a maxim; pithy.

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sententious British  

/ sɛnˈtɛnʃəs /

adjective

1. characterized by or full of aphorisms, terse pithy sayings, or axioms

2. constantly using aphorisms, etc

3. tending to indulge in pompous moralizing

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsententious
  adjective
• nonsententiousness
  noun
• unsententiousness
  noun
• sententiosity
  noun
• sententiously
  adverb
• sententiousness
  noun
• unsententious
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sententious

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin sententiōsus “meaningful, pithy”; see sentence, -ous

Explanation

If you speak in sententious phrases, your listeners are probably falling asleep, as your speech is pompous and pretentious, and full of moralistic babble. When sententious first appeared in English — back in the late Middle Ages — it meant "full of wisdom," but now it usually has a negative sense, meaning heavy handed and self-important. The sententious blowhard makes people laugh, and you can probably think of at least three cartoon characters who fit the bill — often a politician or minister who drones on and on, oblivious to the fact that his audience is snickering or trying to sneak out.

Example Sentences

It’s clearly vying to be shelved alongside the sententious Stoic self-help books that have become trendy among seekers of meme-able ancient wisdom in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Audiences have no choice but to exist in the theatrical moment, without recourse to linear logic, sententious language or psychological epiphanies.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2025

On the other hand, the sententious segues and gassed-up encomiums to whatever B-list star was arriving onstage were eliminated.

From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2023

There’s a similar try-hard-ness about “The Power of Prayer,” another song about the spiritual significance of music that I find more sententious than moving.

From Slate • Oct. 22, 2020

I longed for my old copy of Livy "much 325 thumbed," that I might sit on the hill and compare the image in my mind, made by his pithy and sententious description, with the reality.

From Pencillings by the Way Written During Some Years of Residence and Travel in Europe by Willis, N. Parker