hypocrisy

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English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French ypocrisie, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Ancient Greek ὑπόκρισις (hupokrisis, answer, stage acting, pretense), from ὑποκρίνομαι (hupokrinomai, I reply), from ὑπό (hupo, under, equivalent of the modern "hypo-" prefix) + the middle voice of κρίνω (krinō, I separate, judge, decide).

Noun [edit]

hypocrisy (plural hypocrisies)

  1. the claim or pretense of holding beliefs, feelings, standards, qualities, opinions, virtues or motivations that one does not actually possess. [from early 13th c.]
  2. applying criticism to others that one does not apply equally to oneself; moral self-contradiction whereby the behavior of one or more people belies their own claimed or implied possession of certain beliefs, standards or virtues.
  3. an instance of either of the above.

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