hypocrisy

[hi-pok-ruh-see]

noun

plural

hypocrisies 

1. a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.

2. a pretense of having some desirable or publicly approved attitude.

3. an act or instance of hypocrisy.

hypocrisy

/ hɪˈpɒkrəsɪ /

noun

1. the practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc, contrary to one's real character or actual behaviour, esp the pretence of virtue and piety

2. an act or instance of this

Other Word Forms

• hyperhypocrisy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hypocrisy¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Greek hypókrisis “play acting,” from hypokrī(nesthai)́ “to play a part, explain” (from hypo- hypo- + krī́nein “to distinguish, separate”) + -sis -sis

Synonym Study

See duplicity.

Example Sentences

Four years later, at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, all nuance was gone; the version of Jefferson on display became a denigrating demonstration of hypocrisy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I’m sure you can think of plenty of examples of hypocrisy on both sides of the political aisle.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“It makes me shake my fist because it’s a lot of hypocrisy,” she says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Bondi again refused to answer, instead accusing Whitehouse of hypocrisy for accepting campaign donations from “one of Epstein’s closest confidants,” a reference to Democratic donor Reid Hoffman.

Read more on Salon

One is Atsuko Okatsuka, who posted her invitation on social media, citing the hypocrisy of “the ‘you can’t say anything anymore!’ comedians . . . doing the festival” and agreeing to its censorship regulations.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• bigotry 
• deceit 
• deception 
• dishonesty 
• duplicity 
• fraud 
• insincerity 
• mockery