Pharisee
UK /ˈfɛɹɪsiː/ · US /ˈfɛɹɪsi/ noun
Forms Pharisees
- noun (historical) A member of an ancient Jewish political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews that flourished during the Second Temple Era (536 B.C.E.–70 C.E.). The movement was ultimately the basis for most contemporary forms of Judaism.
- noun (figuratively, by extension; derogatory) A person who values the letter of the law over its spirit or intention.
Etymology
From Latin Pharisaeus, from Ancient Greek Φαρισαῖος (Pharisaîos), a transliteration of Aramaic פְּרִישַׁיָּא (pərîšayyâ’), emphatic plural of פְּרִישׁ (pərîš, “separatist”, literally “separated”), related to Hebrew פרוש (parush), qal passive participle of the verb פָּרַשׁ (pāraš), meaning one who is separated for a life of purity.
Webster’s 1913
- noun One of a sect or party among the Jews, noted for a strict and formal observance of rites and ceremonies and of the traditions of the elders, and whose pretensions to superior sanctity led them to separate themselves from the other Jews.
Etymology [L. Pharisaeus, Gr. parash to separate.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Pharisee”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details