skepticism

Or scep·ti·cism

[skep-tuh-siz-uhm]

noun

1. skeptical attitude or temper; doubt.

   Synonyms: questioning

2. doubt or unbelief with regard to a religion, especially Christianity.

   Synonyms: agnosticism, atheism, disbelief
   Antonyms: faith

3. (initial capital letter),  the doctrines or opinions of philosophical Skeptics; universal doubt.

skepticism

1. In philosophy, the position that what cannot be proved by reason should not be believed. One of the main tasks of epistemology is to find an answer to the charge of some extreme skeptics that no knowledge is possible.

Other Word Forms

• antiskepticism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of skepticism¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from New Latin scepticismus; equivalent to skeptic + -ism

Example Sentences

The proposal to eliminate all out-of-pocket costs for IVF quickly drew skepticism last year, with one veteran analyst saying it would be dead on arrival in Congress.

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In a place like Wichita, where Medicare Advantage enrollment has finally reached 40%, it’s kind of a mixed bag of rural health issues and skepticism about insurance companies in general.

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You could smell the skepticism: best case scenario, this Indiana team would be last year’s team.

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To be sure, there was also skepticism regarding the use of apps on the small screens of smartphones, and we all know how that turned out.

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It often arrives dressed in intellectual respectability framed as concern, skepticism or “just asking questions.”

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Related Words

• apprehension 
• disbelief 
• distrust 
• hesitation 
• reluctance 
• suspicion 
• uncertainty