Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pharisaical

/faɹɪˈseɪk(ə)l/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.25 in modern English

Syllables: phar-i-saical
IPA: /faɹɪˈseɪk(ə)l/

18

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of or pertaining to the Pharisees.

adj

Emphasizing the observance of ritual or practice over the meaning; self-righteous, hypocritical.

Example Sentences

"Perhaps no man in the world had less than Douglas the pharisaical precision of Methodism; he was totally averse to their sudden and evanescent flights of enthusiasm, their frantic ravings of intemperate zeal in devotion, as if invoking a vindictive and implacable Deity;[…]"
"Thus Aurobindo Ghose stated that the puritanical, pharisaical British conquered in the name of liberty and usurped under the cloak of altruism."

Etymology

From Late Latin Pharisaicus + -al.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: al

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /faɹɪˈseɪk(ə)l/

Inflected Forms

more pharisaical (comparative) most pharisaical (superlative)

Derived Forms

unpharisaical

Frequently Paired Words

pharisaically pharisaicalness pharisaism Pharisee

Synonyms

pharisaic holier-than-thou pietistic pietistical sanctimonious self-righteous

Questions

How do you pronounce pharisaical?: The recorded pronunciation is /faɹɪˈseɪk(ə)l/.
What does pharisaical mean?: Of or pertaining to the Pharisees.
Where does pharisaical come from?: From Late Latin Pharisaicus + -al.

How to pronounce pharisaical

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pharisaical”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/faɹɪˈseɪk(ə)l/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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