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sanctimonious

[ sangk-tuh-moh-nee-uh s ]
/ ˌsæŋk təˈmoʊ ni əs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sanctimonious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

making a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety, righteousness, etc.: They resented his sanctimonious comments on immorality in America.
Obsolete. holy; sacred.

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Origin of sanctimonious

First recorded in 1595–1605; sanctimony + -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM sanctimonious

Words nearby sanctimonious

sancerre, sanchez, sancho panza, sanctified, sanctify, sanctimonious, sanctimony, sanction, sanction mark, sanctitude, sanctity
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to sanctimoniousness

duplicity, falsity, cant, casuistry, affectation, double-dealing, lie, deception, dishonesty, quackery, speciousness, imposture, mockery, insincerity, pietism, sanctimony, deceit, irreverence, fraud, bigotry

Example sentences from the Web for sanctimoniousness

British Dictionary definitions for sanctimoniousness

sanctimonious
/ (ˌsæŋktɪˈməʊnɪəs) /

adjective

affecting piety or making a display of holiness

Derived forms of sanctimonious

sanctimoniously, adverbsanctimoniousness, nounsanctimony, noun

Word Origin for sanctimonious

C17: from Latin sanctimonia sanctity, from sanctus holy
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