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sententious

 - 3 dictionary results

sen⋅ten⋅tious

  [sen-ten-shuhs]
–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.
Use sententious in a Sentence
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. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To sententious
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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Word Origin & History

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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