sanctimony

[ sangk-tuh-moh-nee ]

noun

1. pretended, affected, or hypocritical religious devotion, righteousness, etc.
2. Obsolete. sanctity; sacredness.

Other Words From

• non·sancti·mony noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sanctimony¹

First recorded in 1530–40, sanctimony is from the Latin word sānctimōnia holiness. See Sanctus, -mony

Example Sentences

Partly it’s the sanctimony, the assertion of personal freedom over any sense of public good.

From Washington Post

I think there is a lot of sanctimony and politics being played in this.

From Washington Post

The legislature was out to get him, he raged with awe-inspiring sanctimony.

From The Daily Beast

And far from defining him as an empty suit, it suggests he is one filled with both hubris and sanctimony.

From The Daily Beast

She remained always allergic to sanctimony, impatient with convention, honest to the point of impropriety.

From The Daily Beast

Humor has given way to humorlessness, sarcasm to sanctimony, irony to invective.

From The Daily Beast

We at The Daily Beast seek to provide a counterweight to all this sanctimony.

From The Daily Beast

There was upon his face an expression of extreme sanctimony, which was horribly repellent to the Major.

From Project Gutenberg

The debate on the second reading was marked by a little brutality and much sanctimony.

From Project Gutenberg

The ecclesiastical93 monitor, from spur to plume a star of sanctimony, was called the chaplain.

From Project Gutenberg

The least that can be said is, that it invests the sanctimony of marriage with the air of an illicit amour.

From Project Gutenberg

Every respect is shown the memory of the deceased, but there is neither sanctimony nor suppressed sorrow at the funeral service.

From Project Gutenberg