Heads embracing sanctimonious views (8)
I believe the answer is:
opinions
'views' is the definition.
(I know this)
'heads embracing sanctimonious' is the wordplay.
'heads' becomes 'onions' (onion can informally mean someone's head).
'embracing' is an insertion indicator.
'sanctimonious' becomes 'pi' (old-fashioned term for pious).
'onions' placed around 'pi' is 'OPINIONS'.
(Other definitions for opinions that I've seen before include "'Beliefs, convictions (8)'" , "Viewpoints" , "Personal beliefs or judgments" , "Personal views" , "Beliefs not founded on proof" .)