Moralising, posted promissory notes around hospital department

• Given to pompous moralising
• Preachy nun sees to it in new order

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
a. 1 (context obsolete English) Full of meaning. 2 Using as few words as possible; pithy and concise. 3 Tending to use aphorisms or maxims, especially given to trite moralizing.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
mid-15c., "full of meaning," from Middle French sententieux , from Latin sententiosus "full of meaning, pithy," from sententia "thought; expression of a thought" (see sentence (n.)). Meaning "addicted to pompous moralizing" first recorded 1590s. Related: ...

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sententious \Sen*ten"tious\, a.[L. sentenciosus: cf. F. sentencieux.] Abounding with sentences, axioms, and maxims; full of meaning; terse and energetic in expression; pithy; as, a sententious style or discourse; sententious truth. How he apes his sire, ...

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Word definitions in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
adjective EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS ▪ It was quiet, reminiscent, a little sententious . ▪ On its own this reads like a perfectly ordinary youthful Europeanized sententious romantic flourish. ▪ Perhaps her last remark was a bit sententious ?

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
adj. abounding in or given to pompous or aphoristic moralizing; "too often the significant episode deteriorates into sententious conversation"- Kathleen Barnes concise and full of meaning; "welcomed her pithy comments"; "the peculiarly sardonic and sententious ...