ˈfarəˌsē also ˈfer- or -_sē or -si noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English pharise, from Old English farise, from Late Latin pharisaeus, from Greek pharisaios, from Aramaic pĕrīshayyā, plural of pĕrīshā, lit,. separated; akin to Hebrew pārūsh separated, distinct
1. usually capitalized : a member of a school or party among the ancient Jews who were noted for strict and formal observance of rites and ceremonies of the written law and for insistence on the validity of the traditions of the elders, who differed from the Sadducees in traditionalism and in their teachings concerning the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, future retribution, and a coming Messiah, and whose interpretation provided the standard of observance and belief for the great majority of Jews from the 1st century A.D.
2. often capitalized : a pharisaical person