sanctimonious

adjective

Definition of sanctimoniousnext
as in pious
formal + disapproving pretending to be morally better than other people sanctimonious politicians A sanctimonious speech from someone who refused to acknowledge his own past failings.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sanctimonious But Michael assessed Anthropic’s terms as both restrictive and sanctimonious. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026 The 34-year-old Haim, a successful musician who with just four roles in five quick years has also established herself as one of our most fascinating actresses, plays this turn from cheerful bud to sanctimonious hater perfectly. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026 The Pope has been criticized by sanctimonious warmongers for being inappropriately religious. — Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026 The spiral of events that follow ups the pathos while quietly commenting on rigid patriarchal rules, male privilege, sanctimonious moral posturing, the denial of women’s bodily autonomy and contempt for otherness, things all still very much with us today. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sanctimonious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctimonious
  1. pious
  2. meaningless
Adjective
  • Others regard the unum as a pious myth.
    — James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • However, this distinction did more than pit pious Americans against an atheist enemy.
    — David Williamson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026
Definition of pious
Adjective
  • One sure focus is the rampant grade inflation that exaggerates student achievement and has made graduating high school close to meaningless as an indicator of college preparedness.
    — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026
  • This distinction between meaningful and meaningless data evokes signal versus noise, a communication concept formulated by the mathematician Claude Shannon.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of meaningless

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sanctifying
sanctimonious
sanctimoniousness
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Cite this Entry

“Sanctimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctimonious. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sanctimonious

Nglish: Translation of sanctimonious for Spanish Speakers

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