SANCTIMONIOUSNESS Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

sanctimoniousness

noun

Definition of sanctimoniousness

as in affectation

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctimoniousness

Noun

But, even then, American socialists walked a fine line—they were considered too radical for the mainstream and a mere bourgeois affectation by committed class revolutionaries.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
With rare exceptions, EV sound is little more than an affectation.

— Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of affectation

Noun

His face is a mix of affectlessness and self-satisfaction, putting him somewhere between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, with a touch of the Cheshire cat.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
After 50 minutes of self-satisfaction, the hero fades serenely into a sunset that Dudamel made miraculously mystical.

— Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

Definition of self-satisfaction

Noun

Although humanity’s salvation may appear to come in fits and starts, God’s healing influence always penetrates and gets through callous self-righteousness and indifference.

— Mark Swinney, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026
But Flynn also oozes sniveling self-righteousness while hotly defending and petitioning for childhood innocence (amusing hints emerge that the daughter is a somewhat lazy and dim underachiever).

— Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026

Definition of self-righteousness

Noun

Staff members treat patrons like family, a welcome departure from the pretentiousness that sometimes comes with more luxurious bookings.

— Joey Skladany, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
Gabrielle and Katerina credit the enduring appeal of Dan Tana’s to its persistent lack of pretentiousness.

— Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of pretentiousness

Noun

The practice of yama includes avoiding violence, dishonesty, theft and greed, and cultivating brahmacharya.

— Bhakti Mamtora, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
Set against the backdrop of political dishonesty and the country’s abandonment of ideals, the book probes questions about how to be an artist in the world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of dishonesty

Noun

Hosted by Alan Cumming, the social deduction game follows a group of contestants (who are sometimes celebrities) engaging in a Mafia or Werewolf-style game of deception.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
With shifting alliances and deception, only the most calculating player will survive to win it all, per the logline.

— Peter White, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of deception

Noun

Platner, indeed, has boiled down nearly all political problems to the perfidy of sinister oligarchs.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
If the landing had been faked, the Soviets would have figured it out and would have loved to reveal to the world America’s perfidy.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 May 2026

Definition of perfidy

Noun

The film, which world premiered at the Berlinale, turns artistic pretension, female friendship and domestic chaos into a comic ensemble piece.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Their trading volume, political influence and public profiles have expanded — as have their pretensions.

— W. Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of pretension

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sanctimonious

sanctimoniousness

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“Sanctimoniousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctimoniousness. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of sanctimoniousness

noun

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