Sadducee

[ saj-uh-see, sad-yuh- ]

noun

, Judaism.

1. a member of a Palestinian sect, consisting mainly of priests and aristocrats, that flourished from the 1st century b.c. to the 1st century a.d. and differed from the Pharisees chiefly in its literal interpretation of the Bible, rejection of oral laws and traditions, and denial of an afterlife and the coming of the Messiah.

Sadducee

/ ˈsædjʊˌsiː /

noun

1. Judaism a member of an ancient Jewish sect that was opposed to the Pharisees, denying the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels, and the validity of oral tradition

Derived Forms

• ˈSadduˌceeism, noun
• ˌSadduˈcean, adjective

Other Words From

• Saddu·cean adjective
• Saddu·ceeism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sadducee¹

before 1000; Middle English sadducees (plural), Old English saddūcēas < Late Latin saddūcaeī < Greek saddoukaîoi < Hebrew ṣədhūqī adherent of Zadok

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sadducee¹

Old English saddūcēas, via Latin and Greek from Late Hebrew sāddūqi, probably from Sadoq Zadok, high priest and supposed founder of the sect

Example Sentences

“Biblically, when the Old Testament speaks of the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes, it’s the scribes who were attorneys; they wrote and interpreted the law. They had a specific skill set.”

From Washington Times

In doctrine—whereas the Sadducees do not believe in immortality and think the soul dies with the body—the Essenes regard the body as corruptible but hold that the soul is imperishable.

From The New Yorker

In fact, performance prayer events closely mimic the depictions in early Christian texts of prayer services held by the Pharisees and Sadducees, two of the largest religious movements in Judea during Jesus’s life.

From Newsweek

The Jewish leaders who were in charge of the temple and of civil life within Jerusalem were known as the Sadducees.

From Salon

Some trace the origins further back to the early sects of the Second Temple period, like the Sadducees.

From New York Times