sanctimonious

[ sangk-tuh-moh-nee-uhs ]

adjective

1. making a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety, righteousness, etc.:

   They resented his sanctimonious comments on immorality in America.

2. Obsolete. holy; sacred.

sanctimonious

/ ˌsæŋktɪˈməʊnɪəs /

adjective

1. affecting piety or making a display of holiness

Derived Forms

• ˌsanctiˈmoniously, adverb
• ˌsanctiˈmoniousness, noun
• ˈsanctimony, noun

Other Words From

• sancti·moni·ous·ly adverb
• sancti·moni·ous·ness noun
• nonsanc·ti·moni·ous adjective
• nonsanc·ti·moni·ous·ly adverb
• nonsanc·ti·moni·ous·ness noun
• unsanc·ti·moni·ous adjective
• unsanc·ti·moni·ous·ly adverb
• unsanc·ti·moni·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sanctimonious¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; sanctimony + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of sanctimonious¹

C17: from Latin sanctimonia sanctity, from sanctus holy

Example Sentences

Such criminal heroes take on dopey authority figures that are fun for audiences to root against, whether it's sanctimonious cops, rich bankers, or fancy nobles whose wealth needs a little forcible redistribution.

From Salon

This is a Biennale that speaks the language of assurance, but is actually soaked in anxiety, and too often resorts, as the Nigerian author Wole Soyinka deplored in a poem, to “cast the sanctimonious stone / And leave frail beauty shredded in the square / Of public shame.”

From New York Times

Somewhat sanctimonious and totally brazen, they solidified my status and signified that I had “made it” as an athlete.

From Salon

By that point, the original ethos of the site was gone—it was once a blogger’s blog, full of brilliant and sanctimonious sports and nonsports coverage alike.

From Slate

And like Hitler, his sanctimonious appeal for strong resistance to guilty verdicts and criticisms of his racist policies is justified by the Divine, and that we all “answer to God in heaven.”

From Salon

Related Words

• hypocritical
• insincere
• pious
• self-satisfied
• smug
• stuffy