Sadducee

American  

[saj-uh-see, sad-yuh-] / ˈsædʒ əˌsi, ˈsæd jə- /

noun

Judaism.

1. a member of a Palestinian sect, consisting mainly of priests and aristocrats, that flourished from the 1st century b.c. to the 1st century a.d. and differed from the Pharisees chiefly in its literal interpretation of the Bible, rejection of oral laws and traditions, and denial of an afterlife and the coming of the Messiah.

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Sadducee British  

/ ˈsædjʊˌsiː /

noun

1. Judaism a member of an ancient Jewish sect that was opposed to the Pharisees, denying the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels, and the validity of oral tradition

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Other Word Forms

• Sadduceeism
  noun
• Sadducean
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Sadducee

before 1000; Middle English sadducees (plural), Old English saddūcēas < Late Latin saddūcaeī < Greek saddoukaîoi < Hebrew ṣədhūqī adherent of Zadok

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Sadducee

He is a guest under my roof and a Sadducee of power.

From The Coming of the King by Bernie Babcock

In Judea," the Sadducee continued, "they are still bound by the usages of the Mosaic Law.

From Saul of Tarsus A Tale of the Early Christians by Elizabeth Miller

Again, humbler folk would retreat into wagon-ways or hug the walls to permit the passage of a Sadducee and his retinue, or a decurion and his squad—rank and power asserting their inexorable prerogative.

From Saul of Tarsus A Tale of the Early Christians by Elizabeth Miller

"Thou didst ask our brother, the alabarch, if he were commissioned with a perplexity," the Sadducee continued.

From Saul of Tarsus A Tale of the Early Christians by Elizabeth Miller

He has nothing harsh even for the infidel Sadducee.

From Modern Skepticism: A Journey Through the Land of Doubt and Back Again A Life Story by Joseph Barker