skepticism

American  

[skep-tuh-siz-uhm] / ˈskɛp təˌsɪz əm /

Or scepticism

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 Cultural  

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

Etymology

Origin of skepticism

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

Example Sentences

MIDDLETOWN, Pa.—Forty-six years have passed since America’s worst nuclear accident, at Three Mile Island, jolted the country and created skepticism of nuclear energy.

From The Wall Street Journal

The purported weapons used in some of the cases have only fueled skepticism: A District of Columbia man was charged for throwing a Subway sandwich.

From Los Angeles Times

But the skepticism is notable for what it says about the difficulty in building trust in public institutions after so many decades of malfeasance and mismanagement.

From The Wall Street Journal

I have a healthy skepticism about Thanksgiving dinner-price surveys, not least because they don’t include alcohol and other snacks that guests expect — let’s return to your Friendsgiving.

From MarketWatch

It doesn’t help that enterprise software stocks in general have faced skepticism in 2025 due to artificial intelligence.

From Barron's

Related Words

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