noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈsæŋk.tɪ.mə.ni/
UK:/ˈsæŋk.tɪˌməʊ.ni/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˈsæŋk.tɪˌmoʊ.ni/
US:/ˈsæŋk.təˌmoʊ.ni/
CMU ARPABET:S AE1 NG K T IH0 M OW2 N IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A hypocritical form of excessive piety, considered to be an affectation merely for public show.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A state of holiness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the quality of being hypocritically devout
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sanctimoniousness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: hypocrisy
History
Etymology
From Middle French sanctimonie, from Latin sānctimōnia (“sanctity, sacredness; purity, chastity”), from sanctus (“holy”) + -monia (“action or result of an action”).
Across languages
Translations
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
رياء
(riyā’)
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Bulgarian:
престорена набожност
(prestorena nabožnost)
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Catalan:
fariseisme
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Chinese Mandarin:
假仁假義 /假仁假义
(jiǎrénjiǎyì)
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Danish:
skinhellighed
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Finnish:
tekopyhyys
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
French:
tartuferie
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Galician:
beataría
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
German:
Scheinheiligkeit
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
German:
Frömmelei
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Hungarian:
szenteskedés
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Hungarian:
álszenteskedés
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Hungarian:
szemforgatás
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Hungarian:
kenetteljesség
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Irish:
beannaíocht
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Irish:
bréagchrábhadh
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Italian:
santimonia
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Japanese:
聖人ぶること
(seijin buru koto)
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Norwegian Bokmål:
skinnhellighet
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Polish:
bigoteria
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Polish:
dewocja
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Polish:
świętoszkostwo
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Polish:
świętoszkowatość
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Polish:
świętojebliwość
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Russian:
ха́нжество
(xánžestvo)
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Spanish:
santurronería
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Spanish:
beatería
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
Spanish:
gazmoñería
— a hypocritical form of excessive piety
