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

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

From Salon

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

Do your hobbies make you sound too sanctimonious?

From BBC

And the U.S. has issued 34 Security Council vetoes to protect Israel as that nation has grown increasingly lawless, making our sanctimonious our claims about the rule of law ring equally hollow.

From Salon

Related Words

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