pharisaical

adjective

phar·​i·​sa·​ical ˌfer-ə-ˈsā-ə-kəl How to pronounce pharisaical (audio)
ˌfa-rə-
: marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness
pharisaically adverb
pharisaicalness noun

Examples of pharisaical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lists are no substitute for criticism, but those who take them as inimical to criticism are pharisaical. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2022 David and Samuel explore the U.S. energy sector and evaluate what the future holds in an ESG landscape that has done its very best to bring economic incoherence to its pharisaical agenda. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 16 Jan. 2022 Yet Marlin makes clear that excommunication was never a real threat but rather one that Cuomo shrewdly used to turn himself into a victim of pharisaical bishops. Vincent J. Cannato, National Review, 7 Nov. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pharisaical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1527, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pharisaical was in 1527

Dictionary Entries Near pharisaical

Cite this Entry

“Pharisaical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharisaical. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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