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sen·ten·tious

(sĕn-tĕnshəs)

adj.

1. Terse and energetic in expression; pithy.

2. Full of or given to using aphorisms, especially in a pompously moralizing manner.

[Middle English, from Old French sententieux, from Latin sententiōsus, full of meaning, from sententia, opinion; see SENTENCE.]

sen·tentious·ly adv.

sen·tentious·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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