sanc ‧ ti ‧ mo ‧ ni ‧ ous /ˌsæŋktəˈməʊniəs◂, ˌsæŋktɪˈməʊniəs◂ $ -ˈmoʊ-/ BrE AmE adjective formal
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: sanctimony 'sanctimoniousness' (16-21 centuries) , from Latin sanctimonia 'holiness' , from sanctus ; ⇨ ↑ saint ]
behaving as if you are morally better than other people, in a way that is annoying – used to show disapproval SYN self-righteous :
sanctimonious politicians preaching about family values
—sanctimoniously adverb
—sanctimoniousness noun [uncountable]