Pharisee
Americannoun
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a member of a Jewish sect that flourished during the 1st century b.c. and 1st century a.d. and that differed from the Sadducees chiefly in its strict observance of religious ceremonies and practices, adherence to oral laws and traditions, and belief in an afterlife and the coming of a Messiah.
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(lowercase) a sanctimonious, self-righteous, or hypocritical person.
noun
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Judaism a member of an ancient Jewish sect that was opposed to the Sadducees, teaching strict observance of Jewish tradition as interpreted rabbinically and believing in life after death and in the coming of the Messiah
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(often not capital) a self-righteous or hypocritical person
Etymology
Origin of Pharisee
before 900; Middle English Pharise, Farise, Old English Farīsēus < Late Latin Pharīsēus, variant of Pharīsaeus < Greek Pharīsaîos < Aramaic pərīshayyā, plural of pərīshā literally, separated
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The season consists of eight episodes, and by episode seven, viewers have been introduced to many prominent Biblical characters - like Jesus' diciples Simon and Andrew, Matthew the tax collector, and the Pharisee Nicodemus.
From Fox News • Apr. 3, 2021
And during the grand speech they toast to the fine wine of Pharisee and priest.
From Fox News • Feb. 19, 2019
European Renaissance bronzes will also feature including, from Florence, Giovanni Francesco Rustici's ensemble of St John the Baptist preaching to a Levite and a Pharisee from Florence.
From The Guardian • Jun. 25, 2012
From these various religious experiments, Josephus had emerged as a Pharisee.
From The New Yorker • May 6, 1955
Saul the Pharisee went up to this gate.
From Practical Religion Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians by Ryle, John Charles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
