The Pharisees were a group of Jews, mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible, who believed in strictly obeying the laws of Judaism.
Synonyms: hypocrite, fraud [informal], canter, humbug [old-fashioned] More Synonyms of Pharisee
Pharisee in British English
(ˈfærɪˌsiː)
noun
1. Judaism
a member of an ancient Jewish sect that was opposed to the Sadducees, teaching strict observance of Jewish tradition as interpreted rabbinically and believing in life after death and in the coming of the Messiah
2. (often not capital)
a self-righteous or hypocritical person
Word origin
Old English Farīsēus, ultimately from Aramaic perīshāiyā, pl of perīsh separated
Pharisee in American English
(ˈfærəˌsi)
noun
1.
a member of an ancient Jewish group that carefully observed the written law but also accepted the oral, or traditional, law, advocated democratization of religious practices, etc.
see also Sadducee
2. [p-]
a pharisaic person
Derived forms
Phariseeism (ˈPhariˌseeˌism)
noun
Word origin
ME pharise < OE fariseus & OFr pharisé, both < LL(Ec) Pharisaeus < Gr(Ec) pharasaios < Aram perishaiya, pl. of perish < Heb parush, orig. adj., separated < root prš, cleave, separate
Synonyms of 'Pharisee'
hypocrite, fraud, canter, humbug
More Synonyms of Pharisee
Definition of 'Pharisee'
(noun)
Definition
a self-righteous or hypocritical person
Synonyms
hypocrite
The magazine wrongly suggested he was a liar and a hypocrite.