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pharisien

Pharisee

noun fah-ree-ZYAN Rare

Also means

self-righteous hypocrite

Usage Note

Pharisien refers literally to a member of the ancient Jewish sect of Pharisees, but in common French usage it denotes a hypocritically pious or self-righteous person. This figurative sense is well established, paralleling the biblical Gospel portrayal of the group. The feminine form is pharisienne.

Examples

"Il se comporte comme un pharisien hautain."

Natural Translation

He behaves like a haughty Pharisee.

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