Sadducee

[ saj-uh-see, sad-yuh- ]

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.

Sadducee

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈSadduˌceeism, noun
• ˌSadduˈcean, adjective

Other Words From

• Saddu·cean adjective
• Saddu·ceeism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sadducee¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sadducee¹

Old English saddūcēas, via Latin and Greek from Late Hebrew sāddūqi, probably from Sadoq Zadok, high priest and supposed founder of the sect

Example Sentences

Not in all that long procession that wound up the stony passage from the west, did he see a single Sadducee.

From Project Gutenberg

The Sadducee was a man of the world; not in the bad sense, but in the strict sense of the term.

From Project Gutenberg

I was quite drawn out to speak to him; I hardly know how, for I had always thought of him as a worldly Sadducee.

From Project Gutenberg

The wisest sadducee that ever lived, had he seen a miracle, would not have believed it.

From Project Gutenberg

How was it possible for a sadducee, who believed in no resurrection, to see a miracle?

From Project Gutenberg