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Pharisaic

or Phar·i·sa·i·cal

[far-uh-sey-ik or far-uh-sey-i-kuh l]
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adjective
  1. of or relating to the Pharisees.
  2. (lowercase) practicing or advocating strict observance of external forms and ceremonies of religion or conduct without regard to the spirit; self-righteous; hypocritical.
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Origin of Pharisaic

1610–20; < Late Latin Pharisaicus < Greek Pharisaikós. See Pharisee, -ic
Related formsPhar·i·sa·i·cal·ly, adverbPhar·i·sa·i·cal·ess, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pharisaical

Historical Examples

  • We forgive his insight, because there is nothing in it Pharisaical.

    A Writer's Recollections (In Two Volumes), Volume II

    Mrs. Humphry Ward

  • There was a smirk of pharisaical satisfaction on their faces.

    My New Curate

    P.A. Sheehan

  • But he was too honest not to detect almost at once his own Pharisaical, un-Christlike spirit.

    We Two

    Edna Lyall

  • "Obvious from your pharisaical expression, perhaps," he said good-naturedly.

  • What shall be done to remove their noble and pharisaical indolence?

    Mysterious Psychic Forces

    Camille Flammarion

British Dictionary definitions for pharisaical

Pharisaic

Pharisaical

adjective
  1. Judaism of, relating to, or characteristic of the Pharisees or Pharisaism
  2. (often not capital) righteously hypocritical
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Derived FormsPharisaically, adverbPharisaicalness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for pharisaical

pharisaic

adj.

1610s, from Church Latin pharisaicus, from Greek pharisaikos, from pharisaios (see Pharisee). Related: Pharisaical (1530s).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper