Sunday, October 4, 2009

Pharisaical




pharisaical \ˌfa-rə-ˈsā-ə-kəl\ adjective: 1. of or pertaining to the Pharisees, 2. of a person or practice that emphasizes the observance of ritual or practice over meaning, 3. marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness

Etymology: From Pharisee, from Hebrew prushim, from parush detached one (i.e., one who is separated for a life of purity)

Merriam-Webster gives definition 3 only, while Wiktionary supplies definitions 1 and 2 without mentioning 3. In my sklonking travels, it has been rare that word authorities differ so greatly.

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