sententious

[ sen-ten-shuhs ]

adjective

1. abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims:

   a sententious book.

2. given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous.

   Synonyms: moralistic, sanctimonious, didactic, preachy

3. given to or using pithy sayings or maxims:

   a sententious poet.

4. of the nature of a maxim; pithy.

sententious

/ sɛnˈtɛnʃəs /

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

Derived Forms

• senˈtentiousness, noun
• senˈtentiously, adverb

Other Words From

• sen·ten·tious·ly adverb
• sen·ten·tious·ness sen·ten·ti·os·i·ty [sen-ten-shee-, os, -i-tee], noun
• non·sen·ten·tious adjective
• non·sen·ten·tious·ness noun
• un·sen·ten·tious adjective
• un·sen·ten·tious·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sententious¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin sententiōsus “meaningful, pithy”; sentence, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of sententious¹

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

Example Sentences

Sometimes, though, he drifts into a more sententious, editorial register.

From Washington Post

Darren — Buck — confronts fragility so finely attuned that even to suggest the existence of racism incites a White backlash of racist attacks cloaked in sententious outrage.

From Washington Post

While Mr. Davis’s music was far from universally acclaimed — the “New Rolling Stone Record Guide” once called it “sententious Muzak” — he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.

From Washington Post

And though Austen is seemingly an odd match for such material, “Austen Years” is full of neat observations and provocative comparisons, folded into the story with a subtlety that keeps Cohen’s sense from getting sententious.

From New York Times

Meany’s sententious offerings were typically well-stocked with school and neighborhood history.

From Seattle Times