sanctimony

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UK/ˈsæŋk.tɪ.mə.ni/UK/ˈsæŋk.tɪˌməʊ.ni/US/ˈsæŋk.tɪˌmoʊ.ni/US/ˈsæŋk.təˌmoʊ.ni/

noun

A hypocritical form of excessive piety, considered to be an affectation merely for public show.

Similar
sanctimoniousness
OriginMiddle French sanctimonie ← Latin sānctimōnia →
RareScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounsanctimony (countable and uncountable, plural sanctimonies)

plural sanctimonies

  1. countableuncountableA hypocritical form of excessive piety, considered to be an affectation merely for public show.

    At its best[…] “The Newsroom” has a wit, sophistication and manic energy that recalls James L. Brooks’s classic movie “Broadcast News.” But at its worst, the show chokes on its own sanctimony.

    2012 June 21, Alessandra Stanley, “So Sayeth the Anchorman”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
  2. countableobsoleteuncountableA state of holiness.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe quality of being hypocritically devout

Similar
sanctimoniousness
Broader
hypocrisy
Also see
sanctimoniousness

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinsānctimōnia“sanctity, sacredness; purity, chastity”
  2. Middle Frenchsanctimonie
  3. Englishsanctimony

From Middle French sanctimonie, from Latin sānctimōnia (“sanctity, sacredness; purity, chastity”), from sanctus (“holy”) + -monia (“action or result of an action”).

More words from Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic رياء
  • رياء (riyā’)a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Bulgarian престорена набожност
  • престорена набожност (prestorena nabožnost)a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Catalan fariseisme
  • fariseismea hypocritical form of excessive piety
Chinese Mandarin 假仁假義 /假仁假义
  • 假仁假義 /假仁假义 (jiǎrénjiǎyì)a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Danish skinhellighed
  • skinhelligheda hypocritical form of excessive piety
Finnish tekopyhyys
  • tekopyhyysa hypocritical form of excessive piety
French tartuferie
  • tartuferiea hypocritical form of excessive piety
German Scheinheiligkeit, Frömmelei
  • Scheinheiligkeita hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • Frömmeleia hypocritical form of excessive piety
Hungarian szenteskedés, álszenteskedés
  • szenteskedésa hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • álszenteskedésa hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • szemforgatása hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • kenetteljességa hypocritical form of excessive piety
Irish beannaíocht, bréagchrábhadh
  • beannaíochta hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • bréagchrábhadha hypocritical form of excessive piety
Italian santimonia
  • santimoniaa hypocritical form of excessive piety
Japanese 聖人ぶること
  • 聖人ぶること (seijin buru koto)a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Norwegian Bokmål skinnhellighet
  • skinnhelligheta hypocritical form of excessive piety
Polish bigoteria, dewocja
  • bigoteriaa hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • dewocjaa hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • świętoszkostwoa hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • świętoszkowatośća hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • świętojebliwośća hypocritical form of excessive piety
Russian ха́нжество
  • ха́нжество (xánžestvo)a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Spanish santurronería, beatería
  • santurroneríaa hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • beateríaa hypocritical form of excessive piety
  • gazmoñeríaa hypocritical form of excessive piety
Cite this entry
APA

sanctimony. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanctimony

MLA

“sanctimony.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanctimony. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sanctimony,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanctimony.

Source: sanctimony on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.