pharisaism

1. (chiefly Christianity) Rigid observance of external forms of religion without genuine piety; hypocrisy in religion; a censorious, self-righteous spirit in matters of morals or manners.Examples: "[T]he Phariſee faſted twice every weeke, and that never cenſured in him as a peice of Phariſaiſme, or hypocriſie, or fault of any kind; but as commendable, if he had not boaſted of it."; "But denunciations do not go far, and the only living and effective protest would be a society itself delivered from all pharisaisms and idolatries."; "The codes of some modern pharisaism comprise mostly some virtues and moral rules selected from the codes of the Christian pharisaisms which they oppose […]"countableuncountable