Pharisaical

Pharisaical is an adjective that means hypocritical. Our word of the day is derived from the Pharisees, an ancient sect that was known among readers of the Bible for having a strict adherence to traditional law but a tendency to behave in pretentious, self-righteous ways. By the 17th century, the word pharisaical had come to English, having come from Greek through Aramaic. Like many politicians, the mayor has been called pharisaical, but I don’t think the charge is fair. He’s very devoted to his faith and he follows its teachings faithfully.