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sanctimoniousness

sanctimoniousness

1 9.9
To pretend to be morally better than other people
  • noun
  • /ˌsæŋk.tɪˈmoʊ.ni.əs.nəs/
translation icon : santurronería
  • His criticism could even pertain to sanctimoniousness in landscape studies, as his correspondents can again testify.

Examples

  • His sanctimoniousness only goes so far; he has a career to consider.

    Blog text (19)
  • Please spare us all the sanctimoniousness about getting "political," because whether or not the president of the United States and his administration are equipped with the capabilities to deal with serious threats to our national security sure seems like a big deal that voters deserve to know about.

    Blog text (34)
  • Sadly, there's a certain kind of sloppy, shrill sanctimoniousness that really turns me off, and I'm seeing it in some of the front-pagers here.

    Blog text (29)
  • "You'll understand when you have kids." is the pinnacle of sanctimoniousness, as though motherhood gives us moms special powers of love and life, when some of the most caring people I know will never be mothers.

    Blog text (2)
  • His sanctimoniousness made it hard for others to trust his motives.

  • Many people are turned off by the sanctimoniousness displayed in social media debates.

  • The politician's sanctimoniousness was evident when he criticized others for self-serving behavior.

Synonyms

hypocrisy
vssanctimoniousness
154 6.4

Pretending to have moral beliefs you do not follow

emphasizes public display of moral superiority rather than private pretense
moralizing
vssanctimoniousness
4 7.6

Talking to people about right and wrong in a judging way

is about showing moral superiority as an attitude rather than only judging
sanctimony
vssanctimoniousness
3 9.9

Pretending to be morally better than others

is identical in meaning but differs as an alternate word form
moralism
vssanctimoniousness
2 8.1

Making strict judgments about right and wrong while acting as if they are better than others

is focused on personal show of superiority rather than the general practice
priggishness
vssanctimoniousness
  • Offensive
9.9

A way of behaving that is too proper and judges others for small mistakes

focuses on manners and excessive propriety rather than general moral display
churchy demeanor
vssanctimoniousness
  • Offensive
9.5

Religious behavior that seems judging or fake

is a general show of moral superiority not restricted to religious tone

Antonyms

71 4.8

A quality that shows something is real and believable to people

How Self-Righteous

sanctimoniousness
1 9.9
condescension
16 7.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

sanctimoniousness = sanctimonious (transparent) = sanctimonious + ness

Forming the abstract noun from the adjective 'sanctimonious' with the productive suffix '-ness' yields a predictable meaning: the quality or state of being sanctimonious.

Etymology

Sanctimoniousness comes from the Latin root sanctus meaning 'holy' and the idea of showing that holiness. Think of someone acting like a 'saint' to make themselves seem more moral than others, so sanctimoniousness means a show of being better or purer than others rather than true goodness.