pharisaism

/ˈfaɹ.ɪˌseɪ.ɪz.(ə)m/

//ˈfaɹ.ɪˌseɪ.ɪz.(ə)m// noun

"pharisaism" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pharisaism” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The doctrines and practices, or the character and spirit, of the Pharisees.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pharisaism · pharisaism · English

pharisaism · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for pharisaism
PropertyValue
Headwordpharisaism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfaɹ.ɪˌseɪ.ɪz.(ə)m/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pharisaism” in English

pharisaismsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pharisaism is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfaɹ.ɪˌseɪ.ɪz.(ə)m/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for pharisaism in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Latin Pharisaismus, from Pharĭsaeus (“Pharisee”) + -ismus (“-ism”); compare French Pharisaïsme, Italian Fariseismo (archaic), farisaismo. The correct English form is pharisaism, spelled P-H-A-R-I-S-A-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The doctrines and practices, or the character and spirit, of the Pharisees.
  2. 2
    Rigid observance of external forms of religion without genuine piety; hypocrisy in religion; a censorious, self-righteous spirit in matters of morals or manners.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how pharisaism appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Since Paul lived and worked in the greater Syrian area as a Pharisee, it is somewhat probable that Pharisaism had some influence there and that some Pharisees lived outside Jerusalem and Judea. […] Paul never says where he made contact with Pharisaism, in Tarsus, Syria, or Jerusalem. […] The evidence concerning Pharisaism is so slim that we do not know ho…
  2. Serious and substantial doubts about Paul's former life as a Pharisee, or even any contact with pharisaism on his part, have been raised.

Etymology

From Late Latin Pharisaismus, from Pharĭsaeus (“Pharisee”) + -ismus (“-ism”); compare French Pharisaïsme, Italian Fariseismo (archaic), farisaismo.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "pharisaism"?
"pharisaism" is spelled P-H-A-R-I-S-A-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfaɹ.ɪˌseɪ.ɪz.(ə)m/.
What does "pharisaism" mean?
As a noun, "pharisaism" means: The doctrines and practices, or the character and spirit, of the Pharisees.
How do you pronounce "pharisaism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pharisaism" is /ˈfaɹ.ɪˌseɪ.ɪz.(ə)m/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "pharisaism"?
From Late Latin Pharisaismus, from Pharĭsaeus (“Pharisee”) + -ismus (“-ism”); compare French Pharisaïsme, Italian Fariseismo (archaic), farisaismo. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list