sententiousness
|sen-ten-tious-ness|
/sɛnˈtɛnʃəsnəs/
pithy moralizing
Etymology
'sententiousness' originates from English, formed from the adjective 'sententious' plus the suffix '-ness', ultimately from Latin 'sententia' where 'sententia' meant 'opinion, judgment'.
'sententiousness' developed by adding the nominalizing English suffix '-ness' to 'sententious'. 'Sententious' came into English via Middle English and Anglo-French from Latin 'sententiosus', which itself derived from 'sententia'.
Initially related to 'opinion' or 'judgment' (from Latin), the sense shifted in English to describe speech that expresses opinions as terse, moralizing sayings; over time it acquired a often-pejorative sense of pompous moralizing.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being sententious: given to moralizing in a pompous, aphoristic, or self-righteous way (often negative).
The critic complained that the film's dialogue suffered from excessive sententiousness, turning characters into moralizing mouthpieces.
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Noun 2
concise, aphoristic brevity that expresses opinions or truths in short, pointed statements (can be neutral or positive).
Many readers admired the author's sententiousness — the short, memorable lines that captured large truths.
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Last updated: 2025/12/22 23:22