Meaning & use
Pharisaism
Last updated
Hypocritical self-righteousness; strict adherence to outward religious or moral rules while lacking genuine sincerity.
See it in a sentence
Critics accused the senator of pharisaism for preaching frugality while living lavishly.
The novel skewers the pharisaism of a society obsessed with appearances of virtue.
A note on using this word
Derived from the ancient Jewish sect of the Pharisees, whom the Gospels depict as overly concerned with outward observance of the law; the lowercase word is now used broadly for any hypocritical moralizing.
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