sanctimony

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsæŋk.tɪˌməʊ.ni/, /ˈsæŋk.təˌməʊ.ni/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsæŋk.tɪˌmoʊ.ni/, /ˈsæŋk.təˌmoʊ.ni/

Noun

sanctimony (countable and uncountable, plural sanctimonies)

1. A hypocritical form of excessive piety, considered to be an affectation merely for public show.
2. much older meaning: a state of holiness
   • 2012 June 21, Alessandra Stanley, “So Sayeth the Anchorman”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     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.

Related terms

• sanctimonious
• sanctimoniousness

Translations

a hypocritical form of excessive piety

• Bulgarian: престорена набожност f (prestorena nabožnost)
• Catalan: fariseisme (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 假仁假義／假仁假义 (zh) (jiǎrénjiǎyì)

• Danish: skinhellighed c
• Finnish: tekopyhyys (fi)
• French: tartuferie (fr) f
• German: Scheinheiligkeit (de) f, Frömmelei (de) f
• Hungarian: szenteskedés, álszenteskedés (hu), szemforgatás (hu), kenetteljesség (hu)
• Irish: beannaíocht f, bréagchrábhadh m
• Italian: santimonia (it) f
• Japanese: 聖人ぶること (seijin buru koto)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: skinnhellighet m or f

• Polish: bigoteria (pl) f, dewocja (pl) f, świętoszkostwo n, świętoszkowatość (pl) f
• Russian: ха́нжество (ru) n (xánžestvo)
• Spanish: santurronería f, beatería (es) f, gazmoñería f

See also

• self-righteous
• phony
• holier-than-thou
• virtue signalling