Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sanctimony

/ˈsæŋk.tɪˌmoʊ.ni/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.72 in modern English

Syllables
sanc-ti-mo-ny
IPA
/ˈsæŋk.tɪˌmoʊ.ni/
17
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A hypocritical form of excessive piety, considered to be an affectation merely for public show.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A state of holiness.

Countable; Obsolete; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

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

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: sanctimonie, sānctimōnia

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈsæŋk.tɪˌmoʊ.ni/
  • British English: /ˈsæŋk.tɪ.mə.ni/

Usage

Inflected Forms

sanctimonies (plural)

Derived Forms

sanctimommy

Phrases

self-righteous holier-than-thou virtue signalling

Frequently Paired Words

sanctimonious sanctimoniousness self-righteous phony holier-than-thou virtue signalling

Synonyms

sanctimoniousness

Questions

How do you pronounce sanctimony?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsæŋk.tɪˌmoʊ.ni/.
What does sanctimony mean?
A hypocritical form of excessive piety, considered to be an affectation merely for public show.
Where does sanctimony come from?
It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce sanctimony

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sanctimony”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈsæŋk.tɪˌmoʊ.ni/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “sanctimony”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “sanctimony” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.