skepticism
skepticism Lexical Profile
skepticism Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American An attitude of doubt or a disposition to question the truth, validity, or authenticity of claims, assertions, or supposed facts.
"The committee greeted the company's ambitious financial projections with considerable skepticism."
North American The philosophical doctrine that absolute or certain knowledge is impossible, either in a particular domain or in general, and that inquiry must be a process of continual questioning.
"Descartes employed methodological skepticism to strip away all beliefs that could possibly be doubted."
Word Nuance & Usage
Spelled "skepticism" in American and Canadian English, and traditionally "scepticism" in British, Australian, and Commonwealth English. It is distinct from "cynicism": while skepticism denotes rational doubt pending evidence, cynicism implies a pessimistic belief that people are motivated purely by self-interest.
• Rhymes for skepticism
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 17th century from "skeptic" and the suffix "-ism", ultimately deriving from the Ancient Greek "skeptikos" ("inquiring" or "reflective"), from the verb "skeptesthai" meaning "to look about, consider, or examine".