- a member of an ancient Jewish sect that was opposed to the Sadducees, teaching strict observance of Jewish tradition as interpreted rabbinically and believing in life after death and in the coming of the Messiah
- (often not capital) a self-righteous or hypocritical person
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
Phar•i•see /ˈfærəˌsi/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Judaisma member of an ancient Jewish group that believed in strict observance of religious practices, liberal interpretation of the Bible, and obedience to oral laws and traditions.
- [pharisee] one who pretends to be religious but who is not so really; a hypocrite.
Phar•i•see
(far′ə sē′),USA pronunciation n.
- Judaisma member of a Jewish sect that flourished during the 1st century b.c. and 1st century a.d. and that differed from the Sadducees chiefly in its strict observance of religious ceremonies and practices, adherence to oral laws and traditions, and belief in an afterlife and the coming of a Messiah.
- (l.c.) a sanctimonious, self-righteous, or hypocritical person.
- Aramaic pərīshayyā, plural of pərīshā literally, separated
- Greek Pharīsaîos
- Late Latin Pharīsēus, variant of Pharīsaeus
- Middle English Pharise, Farise, Old English Farīsēus bef. 900
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Pharisee /ˈfærɪˌsiː/ n
'Pharisee' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):