sententious

UK: /sɛnˈtɛnʃəs/ US: (sen ten′shəs)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sen•ten•tious  (sen ten′shəs), adj. 

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.

• Latin sententiōsus meaningful. See sentence, -ous
• late Middle English 1400–50

sen•ten′tious•ly, adv. 
sen•ten′tious•ness, sen•ten•ti•os•i•ty  (sen ten′shē os′i tē), n.  Synonyms

• 2. preachy, didactic, sanctimonious, moralistic.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sententious / sɛnˈtɛnʃəs/ adjective

1. characterized by or full of aphorisms, terse pithy sayings, or axioms
2. constantly using aphorisms, etc
3. tending to indulge in pompous moralizing

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin sententiōsus full of meaning, from sententia; see sentence

senˈtentiously adverb

senˈtentiousness noun