Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "pharisaism" []

  • The doctrines and practices of the Pharisees. (noun)
  • Hypocritical observance of the letter of religious or moral law without regard for the spirit; sanctimoniousness. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "pharisaism" in a sentence
  • "Was this change wrought by the ascetic habits of a pharisaism which is not piety any more than avarice is economy?"
  • "As the Holy Father has stated and witnesses to us, the external forms of the liturgy are not inconsequent or mere pharisaism rather they are of great importance for the experiential in teaching and passing on the Faith."
  • "Doesn't work - that just becomes a kind of pharisaism."