hypocritical

American  

[hip-uh-krit-i-kuhl] / ˌhɪp əˈkrɪt ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. of the nature of hypocrisy, or pretense of having virtues, beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually possess.

   The parent who has a “do what I say and not what I do” attitude can appear hypocritical to a child.

2. possessing the characteristics of hypocrisy.

   Isn't a politician hypocritical for talking about human dignity while voting against reasonable social programs?

---

Other Word Forms

• unhypocritical
  adjective
• hypocritically
  adverb
• unhypocritically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of hypocritical

First recorded in 1515–25; equivalent to Greek hypokritik(ós) (from hypokritḗs “a stage actor” + -ikós -ic ( def. ) ) + -al ¹ ( def. ); see hypocrite ( def. )

Explanation

Hypocritical involves acting in a way that goes against your stated beliefs. If you drive drunk despite the fact that you are the president of Students Against Drunk Driving, you are truly hypocritical. Hypocritical comes from the Greek hypokritikos which means acting a part. The word comes up most often when discussing political and religious figures who are sometimes caught engaging in behavior that goes against their professed beliefs. A person who engages in hypocritical behavior could be called a hypocrite, their behavior, an act of hypocrisy.

Example Sentences

But it was extremely hypocritical of the U.S. to condemn the Barbary states for enslaving a few hundred Americans given, you know, the extensive enslavement of hundreds of thousands of Africans on American soil.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2026

It soon expanded its target list to hypocritical politicians, cultural fads and celebrities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

Judge Ross is the latest in a long line of examples of the most hypocritical double standard: Judges hold others accountable for misconduct but are never held accountable themselves.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

But Lee Symonds, of the Artificial Grass Company Norfolk and Suffolk, said calls for plastic grass to be banned were somewhat hypocritical.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

He did everything possible to probe and expose the hypocritical rhetoric surrounding the Indian Creek Dam—the state engineer’s pronouncement, for example, that it was “the only way to save a dying culture.”

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

• deceptive
• duplicitous
• false
• insincere
• sanctimonious
• self-righteous
• unnatural