hypocrisy
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hypocrisy
- /hɪˈpɒkɹəsi/ UK
- /hɪˈpɑkɹəsi/ US
Where it comes from
From hypo- + Ancient Greek κρί(σις) (krí(sis)) + -isy. From Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French ypocrisie, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Ancient Greek ὑπόκρισις (hupókrisis, “answer, stage acting, pretense”), from ὑποκρίνομαι (hupokrínomai, “I answer (a fellow actor on stage), play a part, dissemble, feign”), from ὑπό (hupó, “under, equivalent of the modern "hypo-" prefix”) + the middle voice of κρίνω (krínō, “I separate, judge, decide”) + -isy.
Displaced native Old English līċettung.
noun hypocrisies
- The contrivance of a false appearance of virtue or goodness, while concealing real character or inclinations, especially with respect to religious and moral beliefs; hence in general sense, dissimulation, pretence, sham. political hypocrisy
- The claim or pretense of having beliefs, standards, qualities, behaviours, virtues, motivations, etc. which one does not really have. rank hypocrisy
- The practice of engaging in the same behaviour or activity for which one criticises another; moral self-contradiction whereby the behavior of one or more people belies their own claimed or implied possession of certain beliefs, standards or virtues.
- An instance of hypocrisy.
Similar: hypocriticality, hypocriticalness
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: lip service, hypocrite, doublespeak, hypocritical, hypocritically, pretence, spurious, phony, insincerity, sham, duplicity, deceit, self-righteousness, dishonesty, posturing, cynicism
noun
Similar: hypocriticality, hypocriticalness
Translations
Every language
noun applying criticism to others that one does not apply equally to oneself
| Deutsch | Doppelmoral |
|---|---|
| Русский | ха́нжество xánžestvo |
noun claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
| Español | hipocresía |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 위선 wiseon |
| 日本語 | 偽善 gizen |
| 中文 | 虛偽 /虚伪 xūwěi, 假惺惺 jiǎxīngxīng, 偽善 /伪善 wěishàn |
| हिन्दी | ढोंग ḍhoṅg, पाखंड pākhaṇḍ |
| Português | hipocrisia |
| Français | hypocrisie, faux-culterie, tartuferie, tartufferie |
| Deutsch | Heuchelei, Scheinheiligkeit, Hypokrisie, Tartüfferie |
| Italiano | ipocrisia |
| Ελληνικά | υποκρισία ypokrisía |
| Română | ipocrizie |
| Русский | лицеме́рие licemérije, двули́чие dvulíčije |
| Tiếng Việt | đạo đức giả, giả hình |
| العربية | رِيَاء riyāʔ, نِفَاق nifāq |
| עברית | צביעות \ צְבִיעוּת tsviút |
Talk about this word "hypocrisy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/hypocrisy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. hypocrisy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/hypocrisy "hypocrisy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/hypocrisy.Cite this
@misc{hypocrisy_2026,
title = {hypocrisy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/hypocrisy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
