hypocrisy

American  

[hi-pok-ruh-see] / hɪˈpɒk rə si /

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.

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hypocrisy British  

/ 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

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Related Words

See duplicity.

Other Word Forms

• hyperhypocrisy noun

Etymology

Origin of hypocrisy

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

Example Sentences

There is a pattern here that goes beyond hypocrisy, though that quality is certainly present in abundance.

From Salon • Mar. 9, 2026

Vance’s hostility, combined with some hypocrisy, shocked leaders: They’d expected a lecture from the incoming administration, but maybe on defense spending.

From Slate • Feb. 13, 2026

Scott Shambaugh woke up early Wednesday morning to learn that an artificial intelligence bot had written a blog post accusing him of hypocrisy and prejudice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

"I have not seen so much hypocrisy in his criticism for a long time, and from all sides," he said.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

“How could I do the thing that I must instruct her to never do, once she knows how to understand? That’s hypocrisy, is what.”

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill

Related Words

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