pharisee

noun

phar·​i·​see ˈfer-ə-(ˌ)sē 

ˈfa-rə-

1

capitalized : a member of a Jewish sect of the intertestamental period noted for strict observance of rites and ceremonies of the written law and for insistence on the validity of their own oral traditions concerning the law

2

: a pharisaical person

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pharise, from Old English farise, from Late Latin pharisaeus, from Greek pharisaios, from Aramaic pĕrīshayyā, plural of pĕrīshā, literally, separated

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1