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sententious - 4 dictionary results

sen⋅ten⋅tious

  [sen-ten-shuhs]
Use sententious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims: a sententious book.
2. given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous.
3. given to or using pithy sayings or maxims: a sententious poet.
4. of the nature of a maxim; pithy.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME < L sententiōsus meaningful. See sentence, -ous

Related forms:
sen⋅ten⋅tious⋅ly, adverb
sen⋅ten⋅tious⋅ness, sen⋅ten⋅ti⋅os⋅i⋅ty  [sen-ten-shee-os-i-tee] , noun

Synonyms:
2. preachy, didactic, sanctimonious, moralistic.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sen·ten·tious   (sěn-těn'shəs)   
adj.  
  1. Terse and energetic in expression; pithy.
    1. Abounding in aphorisms.
    2. Given to aphoristic utterances.
    3. Abounding in pompous moralizing.
    4. Given to pompous moralizing.
    1. Abounding in pompous moralizing.
    2. Given to pompous moralizing.

[Middle English, from Old French sententieux, from Latin sententiōsus, full of meaning, from sententia, opinion; see sentence.]
sen·ten'tious·ly adv., sen·ten'tious·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Sententious

Sen*ten"tious\, a.[L. sentenciosus: cf. F. sentencieux.]

1. Abounding with sentences, axioms, and maxims; full of meaning; terse and energetic in expression; pithy; as, a sententious style or discourse; sententious truth.

How he apes his sire, Ambitiously sententious! --Addison.

2. Comprising or representing sentences; sentential. [Obs.] "Sententious marks." --Grew. --- Sen*ten"tious*ly, adv. -- Sen*ten"tious*ness, n.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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sententious 
1440, "full of meaning," from M.Fr. sententieux, from L. sententiosus "full of meaning, pithy," from sententia "opinion, maxim" (see sentence). Meaning "addicted to pompous moralizing" first recorded 1598.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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