cynicism

[sin-uh-siz-uh m]

See more synonyms for cynicism on Thesaurus.com

noun

cynical disposition, character, or belief.
a cynical remark.
(initial capital letter) any of the doctrines or practices of the Cynics.

Origin of cynicism

First recorded in 1665–75; cynic + -ism

Related formsan·ti·cyn·i·cism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cynicism

Contemporary Examples

It creates a cynicism in us that is not the most noble of things to dwell upon.
Ron Perlman's Secret Suicide Attempt
William O’Connor
October 28, 2014
That is the height of cynicism, combined with an admission of impotence.
Border Kids Crisis—Impotent Congress
John Avlon
July 10, 2014
But our cultural resistance to sentiment is all inclusive—our cynicism crosses all genders, all ages, all classes.
A Love Letter to ‘The Notebook,’ a Melodrama That Commits to Its Sentimentality
Teo Bugbee
June 26, 2014
But Sciortino cut her teeth in that world of excess irony, cynicism, and posturing.
Is This Dildo-Licking, Dominatrix-Loving Vogue Blogger the New Face of Feminism?
Lizzie Crocker
May 22, 2014
Despite this cynicism, Hood says he is hopeful about the future.
Drive-By Truckers Produce Their Best Album in Years
Howard Wolfson
March 9, 2014

Historical Examples

The development of living ideals is not in an atmosphere of cynicism.
The Call of the Twentieth Century
David Starr Jordan
From vanity he spoke of himself in the highest terms and from cynicism in the lowest.
Initiation into Philosophy
Emile Faguet
Cynicism swept Lee; he remembered the look Groff had flung at Franklin.
The World Beyond
Raymond King Cummings
There is not much satire in the Manx character, and next to no cynicism at all.
The Little Manx Nation - 1891
Hall Caine
The more Coast drank the deeper was his cynicism but Peter grew mellow.
The Vagrant Duke
George Gibbs

British Dictionary definitions for cynicism

cynicism

noun

the attitude or beliefs of a cynic
a cynical action, remark, idea, etc

Cynicism

noun

the doctrines of the Cynics

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cynicism

n.

1670s, "philosophy of the Cynics," from cynic + -ism. Meaning "cynical character" is from 1847. For nuances of usage of cynicism, see humor.

cynicism

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}cynicism

Examples from the Web for cynicism

Contemporary Examples

It creates a cynicism in us that is not the most noble of things to dwell upon.

That is the height of cynicism, combined with an admission of impotence.

But our cultural resistance to sentiment is all inclusive—our cynicism crosses all genders, all ages, all classes.

But Sciortino cut her teeth in that world of excess irony, cynicism, and posturing.

Despite this cynicism, Hood says he is hopeful about the future.

Historical Examples

The development of living ideals is not in an atmosphere of cynicism.

From vanity he spoke of himself in the highest terms and from cynicism in the lowest.

Cynicism swept Lee; he remembered the look Groff had flung at Franklin.

There is not much satire in the Manx character, and next to no cynicism at all.

The more Coast drank the deeper was his cynicism but Peter grew mellow.

cynicism

Cynicism

Word Origin and History for cynicism

n.

Origin of cynicism