sycophancy
AmericanEtymology
Origin of sycophancy
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin sȳcophantia “trickery,” from Greek sȳkophantía “dishonest prosecution,” from sȳkophánt(ēs) “informer” ( see sycophant) + -ia -y 3
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.
AI’s sycophancy reinforces human confirmation bias, but users can employ tactics to counteract this tendency.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
But while sycophancy is a symptom of user-model interaction, communication bias runs deeper.
From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026
“AI platforms tend to demonstrate sycophancy, i.e., aligning their responses to a user’s views or style of conversation,” Schueller said.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025
The spoof featured the society's imaginary president declaring: "True sycophancy is non-political."
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2025
He traced the history of the Bedford opulence up to its origin, which he loftily pronounced to be personal sycophancy and public spoil—the plunder of the Abbeys, obtained by subserviency to a Tyrant.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 59, No. 364, February 1846 by Various
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.
