skepticism
Americannoun
-
skeptical attitude or temper; doubt.
- Synonyms:
- questioning
-
doubt or unbelief with regard to a religion, especially Christianity.
- Synonyms:
- agnosticism, atheism, disbelief
- Antonyms:
- faith
-
(initial capital letter) the doctrines or opinions of philosophical Skeptics; universal doubt.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of skepticism
First recorded in 1640–50; from New Latin scepticismus; equivalent to skeptic + -ism
Explanation
Skepticism is doubt about something — you're just not convinced or can't totally believe it. If your brother is only four feet tall, you should view his claims that he can slam dunk a basketball with a lot of skepticism. If you like to poke holes in other people's ideas, then you are full of skepticism. Some people follow a specific belief system that questions the truth of anything, but most people save their skepticism for certain things. Tabloids, Big Foot sightings, and over-eager used car salesmen should all be viewed with a little skepticism. On the other hand, gullible folks believe everything they hear and don't have much, if any, skepticism.
Vocabulary lists containing skepticism
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Power Suffix: -ism
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Outliers
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Skepticism over private loan valuations prompted investor withdrawals; Apollo Global Management will offer daily valuations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Skepticism about the AI trade is higher now than at any point since before Nvidia’s 2023 forecast.
From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025
Skepticism over the coming Geffen theme idea mounts.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025
Skepticism is a good thing in science, but there are a lot of bad-faith efforts to distort and impair understanding — and that's not skepticism.
From Salon • Sep. 29, 2023
Skepticism enables us to distinguish fancy from fact, to test our speculations.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
