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sententious

[sen-ten-shuh s]
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adjective
  1. abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims: a sententious book.
  2. given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous.
  3. given to or using pithy sayings or maxims: a sententious poet.
  4. of the nature of a maxim; pithy.
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Origin of sententious

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin sententiōsus meaningful. See sentence, -ous
Related formssen·ten·tious·ly, adverbsen·ten·tious·ness, sen·ten·ti·os·i·ty [sen-ten-shee-os-i-tee] /sɛnˌtɛn ʃiˈɒs ɪ ti/, nounnon·sen·ten·tious, adjectivenon·sen·ten·tious·ly, adverbnon·sen·ten·tious·ness, nounun·sen·ten·tious, adjectiveun·sen·ten·tious·ly, adverbun·sen·ten·tious·ness, noun

Synonyms

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2. preachy, didactic, sanctimonious, moralistic.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sententiously

Historical Examples

  • "Your tears will not restore your son to you," sententiously observed Olivier.

    Therese Raquin

    Emile Zola

  • "The King, Monsieur, never dies," said Cadoux sententiously.

  • "Whatever his Lordship agrees to," the gardener replied, sententiously.

    The Market-Place

    Harold Frederic

  • "Coffee is better without sugar," said Charles-Norton, sententiously.

  • "Well, take care you don't wait too long," said Hoare, sententiously.

    Roland Cashel

    Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for sententiously

sententious

adjective
  1. characterized by or full of aphorisms, terse pithy sayings, or axioms
  2. constantly using aphorisms, etc
  3. tending to indulge in pompous moralizing
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Derived Formssententiously, adverbsententiousness, noun

Word Origin

C15: from Latin sententiōsus full of meaning, from sententia; see sentence
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

Word Origin and History for sententiously

sententious

adj.

mid-15c., "full of meaning," from Middle French sententieux, from Latin sententiosus "full of meaning, pithy," from sententia "thought; expression of a thought" (see sentence (n.)). Meaning "addicted to pompous moralizing" first recorded 1590s. Related: Sententiously; sententiousness.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper