skeptic
Americannoun
-
a person who questions the validity or authenticity of something purporting to be factual.
-
a person who maintains a doubting attitude, as toward values, plans, statements, or the character of others.
-
a person who doubts the truth of a religion, especially Christianity, or of important elements of it.
- Synonyms:
- doubter
- Antonyms:
- believer
-
(initial capital letter)
-
a member of a philosophical school of ancient Greece, the earliest group of which consisted of Pyrrho and his followers, who maintained that real knowledge of things is impossible.
-
any later thinker who doubts or questions the possibility of real knowledge of any kind.
-
adjective
-
pertaining to skeptics or skepticism; skeptical.
-
(initial capital letter) pertaining to the Skeptics.
noun
Related Words
See agnostic.
Other Word Forms
- antiskeptic noun
- nonskeptic adjective
- skeptical adjective
- skeptically adverb
- skepticalness noun
- skepticism noun
Etymology
Origin of skeptic
1565–75; < Late Latin scepticus thoughtful, inquiring (in plural Scepticī the Skeptics) < Greek skeptikós, equivalent to sképt ( esthai ) to consider, examine (akin to skopeîn to look; -scope ) + -ikos -ic
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.
The best leaders are neither AI evangelists nor skeptics.
From Barron's
While skeptics say the technology has yet to prove its full potential, quantum developers are rapidly making meaningful progress toward technical and commercial milestones.
From Barron's
While skeptics remain, the data confirm that telehealth provides quality care without increasing overdose risk.
From Salon
A crypto skeptic suggests investors are rotating out of Bitcoin into gold and silver, citing fund flow evidence.
From Barron's
Before becoming the head of Health and Human Services, Kennedy has been a longtime vaccine skeptic and served as the head of Children’s Health Defense.
From Salon
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.
