sanctimonious
[ sangk-tuh-moh-nee-uhs ]
/ ˌsæŋk təˈmoʊ ni əs /
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adjective
making a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety, righteousness, etc.: They resented his sanctimonious comments on immorality in America.
Obsolete. holy; sacred.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of sanctimonious
First recorded in 1595–1605; sanctimony + -ous
OTHER WORDS FROM sanctimonious
Words nearby sanctimonious
San Clemente, San Clemente Island, San Cristóbal, sanctified, sanctify, sanctimonious, sanctimony, sanction, sanction mark, sanctitude, sanctity
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for sanctimonious
British Dictionary definitions for sanctimonious
sanctimonious
/ (ˌsæŋktɪˈməʊnɪəs) /
adjective
affecting piety or making a display of holiness
Derived forms of sanctimonious
sanctimoniously, adverbsanctimoniousness, nounsanctimony, nounWord Origin for sanctimonious
C17: from Latin sanctimonia sanctity, from sanctus holy
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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