hypocrisy

CEFRB2

/hɪˈpɒkɹəsi/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    Pretending to have values that your actions do not show.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    The claim or pretense of having beliefs, standards, qualities, behaviours, virtues, motivations, etc. which one does not really have.

Examples

  • Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.

  • We tend to associate politicians with hypocrisy.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Synonyms
2

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. An instance of hypocrisy.

More examples

In context

  • He condemned the hypocrisy of politicians who broke their own laws.

  • political hypocrisy

  • rank hypocrisy

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The politician criticized others for corruption, but his own actions showed great blank.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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.